Kishins and Warlocks
by Allen Bedillion Trahurn
Summary: Twenty years after the events of "Witches Man, Witches." Peace reigns in Death City until a Weapon Meister pair arrives, claiming to have created a Death Scythe. What is it they're really after? Fame? Fortune? Or is their agenda more sinister? R&R
1. Class in Session! New Term at Shibusen?

**A.B.T. Back again for more Soul Eater fanfiction! WhoooO! Hope you enjoy, and I'll be able to write more because I'm officially done with my first year of college. **

The door opened and the class went completely silent within seconds. The teacher walked swiftly, her boots making a dull thud with each impact as she made her way to the podium, her dirty blonde pigtails swishing back and forth in time with her steps. Once at the podium, the woman dropped the thick textbook in her hands onto it, causing an echoing thud that reverberated through the room. The cover of the book was completely black save for its title in white, cursive letters that read "Phasmology 101."

"Welcome to Phasmology 101," she began, her green eyes quickly scanning the room and taking in both the number of students and their names from the seating chart she had memorized the night before.

"I am Maka Evans, three star Scythe-Meister, creator of the current Death Scythe, and your instructor for this class." There was no response from the students, and some even seemed to cower from her determined gaze as it passed over them: something that was common amongst first year students of the Death Weapon Meister Academy. All but one boy, with shoulder length blonde hair that spiked around his head randomly and had blue streaks in it here and there. He was tipping his chair back, his hands behind his head and his eyes closed, and he was resting his currently bare feet on the table in front of him. He had a relaxed smirk on his face, and the two seats to his left were empty. Maka scowled and narrowed her eyes at the boy, whom stirred and frowned, opening one sea blue eye.

"Ixion Sparks?"

"Yes Mo...Mrs. Evans?" the boy responded, grinning nervously at the icy stare she was currently throwing in his direction. He had caught himself before he said "mom" and remembered what had happened last time he had slipped and called her that in class, and that Phasmology book looked a lot bigger than the last edition.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Altezio is, would you?" she asked, as Ixion knew she would. His best friends words rang out in his mind then (_"Don't tell mom where I am today, 'kay?"_) Of course, Ixion knew full well where Altezio was, but he tried to be confident as he lied.

"I...ah...couldn't tell you. He was gone when I woke up this morning..." Her glare intensified, and the boy knew that he had been caught in his lie.

"Eheh..."

Meanwhile...

"Well Summers? You sure talked a big game about your Weapon Form. Let's see it!" called one of the boys from the crowd. Standing in the center of the crowd was a Weapon and Meister. One, the one that had been referred to as "Summers," was a girl with bright red, curly hair that hung down on either side of her face in the front, and the back was tied in an equally curly high-ponytail that was spilt out and back, reaching just above the small of her back. Six silver highlights could be seen within the ponytail. She had a scowl on what would have otherwise been a rather attractive face, and her dark brown eyes burned with an angry intensity.

"C'mon, let's just get out of here, Karin. This isn't cool at all," said the boy behind her, who was currently leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. His hair, snow white in color, lay atop his head in a shaggy mess, and his emerald green eyes looked tired and bored.

"Oh don't be a chicken shit, Tez," she began, glaring back at her Meister, "just get over here so I can transform already!" WIth a sigh of defeat, the white haired boy shoved himself away from the wall and next to his partner. The boy held out his hands before him, and as soon as he did this the girl was enveloped in a flash of light and she seemed to leap into his arms as she changed. Once the light was gone, all that remained was a sleek electric guitar, hanging from the boys neck. It was plugged into a small amplifier that was clipped to the boys belt.

"Happy now?" the boy asked, lazily wrapping his fingers around the instrument's neck while, with his other hand, he reached up and produced a skull shaped guitar pick from behind his ear. Everyone was silent in the crowd, save for one boy who began to laugh at them.

"What, is that it? the culprit cried, stepping forward to the front of the crowd, "Really Summers? Is that the best you've got? Here, let me show you a real weapon!" From out of the crowd a small, meek looking boy stepped up to the one speaking.

"Nii-chan...do we have to fight them today?" he asked with a bit of a blush. He was obviously nervous in front of so many people.

"No, not today," the older boy said, "Today we just get to show off." The little boy smiled at this, obviously pleased. Then, showing physical prowess that was quite unexpected, the boy leapt into the air, doing a little flip as light enveloped him and he transformed into a gargantuan blade that did one more flip before slamming into the ground, embedding itself into the floor. The weapon was all blade except for two handles in the dull side, near the bottom of it. There was also a hilt where it would normally be, but the older boy didn't grab the the weapon by that handle, but rather the two aforementioned ones. With an effortless heave, he pulled the blade from the ground and hefted it over his shoulder with a cocky smirk on his face.

"Just so you know, my name is Alex, wielder of the Zweihander, my little brother Luzo. Scared yet?" At this, laughter could be heard coming from the at Tez's hip before Karin said, "Oh yeah, suuuuure. We're scared all right. What, you trying to compensate for something with that big sword?" There were many "Ooooo's" from her comment, and Alex scowled.

"Luzo...I think I've changed my mind. You okay with that? The boys face appeared in the blade.

"She's going to pay for making fun of nii-chan, huh?"

"Yup." The younger boy didn't seem very happy about it, but he nodded his head and vanished.

"Let's show this guy what's what, Tez!" cried Karin from the amp. The boy merely rolled his eyes and raised the pick high before bringing it down on the guitar strings, playing a low A chord. The strings began to glow as the two infused their wavelengths into the sound, creating a powerful shockwave. Alex wasn't ready to block the attack. Hell, he wsan't even sure how to block it. So the result was the boy, as well as a good portion of the crowd, being knocked back a couple of feet.

The girl tranformed partially back to her human form, her upper body extending out of the face of the guitar. This position burdened the girls partner somewhat but he didn't show it, keeping his balance with all the strength he could provide. The girl didn't notice as she pulled down her eyelid and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Nyeeeeeh! Did you learn your lesson, tough guy?" she teased as Alex stood, his brother transforming and helping him to his feet. He looked furious.

"That was a cheap shot, Summers!"

"Hey, you asked for it!" she fumed back at him.

"Whatever. This isn't over. C'mon Luzo, let's go," Alex said as he turned and stalked away. Luzo stayed behind for a moment.

"I'm sorry...he get this way when he loses."

"Luzo!"

"Coming!" the young boy replied as he ran after his older brother. Karin, however, wasn't about to let this go and transformed the rest of the way, her aim to follow and continue her argument, but she was stopped by a light hand on her shoulder. She turned back angrily to see her partner.

"Just let it go.

She stared at him angrily for a while, her dark eyes meeting his calm, almost drowsy looking green ones. His wavelength brushed against hers and she felt herself beginning to calm as well, as if his gaze were hypnotic. Finally, she let out a frustrated sigh and said, "Fine, let's go. What time is it?"

"Ten thirty," her partner answered as they began to walk away from the slowly dispersing crowd, "Want to catch the rest of class before lunch?"

"Nah." she replied. And so, they walked the halls of Shibusen, waiting for the bell that would signal the end of class so that they could go to lunch. That was, they were until the boy heard a very familiar male voice behind him...one that he had hoped he wouldn't hear at that moment.

"Oi, Tez. Skipping class today?"

_Outside Death City_

The figure walked slowly through the desert, wearing a white cloak and hood to help with the heat from the desert sun. In his hand he held a chakram connected to a thin black cord that seemed to wrap around his arm in endless coils. Not far off in the distance was Death City.

"We finally made it, Life," the figure said, his parched throat making his voice hoarse.

"Good, then let's get there as soon as possible. Minake will be pleased that we made it here alive," came a womans voice from the chakram. The man smiled at this and continued his trek through the desert.

**I hope you all enjoyed this little taste. Oh and I am deciding to hold a contest of sorts. I...know pretty much nothing about guitars. So, I would like descriptions. Whomever can give me the coolest description will have said description featured in the story to the best of my ability. I hope to hear some good ones! Thanks!**


	2. Trio! Wizard, Weapon, and Legacy?

_Altezio_

Altezio Evans followed his father, Soul "Eater" Evans, through the hallway leading to the classroom that he was sure his mother would be waiting for him in, probably looking over homework and other papers from the class he was supposed to have been a part of. He knew he was going to get it this time, he just knew it. Not only had he skipped class, but he had done it so that his partner, Karin Summers, could prove a point.

"Wait out here for a sec," Soul said, looking down at his son, the smirk on his face revealing a row of shark-like teeth, "I'll see if I can't cool her off a little bit." Altezio sighed as his father opened the door and walked in, letting it close quietly behind him. The boy leaned against the wall beside the door and looked out the window in front of him, catching his reflection in it's surface as he did so.

Altezio Evans was a person of lean stature, but he was much stronger than he looked. He had inherited his fathers snow white hair, but had let it grow out just a little more so that it hung in around his head messily (he kind of looked like a mop at this point) just shy of his shoulders. He had also inherited his fathers angular facial features, but he had a more boyish look to him. His eyes were murky green color, like his mothers. Much to his distaste, he headn't inherited his fathers sharp teeth, but he could live with that. He had for fifteen years, at least. He wore a black hoodie with yellow stripes running down the shoulders and all the way to the hem of the sleeves, breaking into two seperate lines to circle the wrist. There was another yellow stripe at the bottom of the garment, circling in the same manner as the stripes had aroud the wrist. The hoodie was currently zipped up to his midriff, revealing the bright yellow shirt he was wearing underneath. Upon the chest of the shirt was a picture of a cartoon pineapple giving a hang ten whilst wearing a white and green visor, and beneath this picture was a caption reading "Hug a Pineapple." Altezio had recieved this particular shirt from his Weapon partner, because she had claimed it was hilarious. He didn't quite agree. The tips of the pull cords and the zipper were both silver renditions of a cartoonish looking skull reminiscent of the previous Shinigami-sama. Finally, Altezio wore a pair of black jeans that had faded over time to a sort of dark grey and a pair of old white sneakers. Both articles of clothing were fairly old, and the boy knew that it was high time he got a new pair of shoes, at least.

A raised voice in the room next to him brought Altezio back to his senses, and with a sigh he closed his eyes and listened, trying to catch the remainder of the conversation/argument going on inside. He was trying to assess the damage (a.k.a. how much trouble he was in) so that he could try to come up with some excuse. He knew it wouldn't work: he was a terrible liar. After a moment, as well as tuning out all other distractions, he was able to catch something.

"...so just give him a little slack, would you? I mean, it's not like we never skipped a class or two."

"Baka!" Altezio winced, "That only ever happened because you would turn the alarm off!"

"Well, you always worked so hard, I thought you could use the sleep." Silence. Of a quality so thick and tangible that, if Altezio had a mind to, he could reach out and grab it. Then there was something said, soft and inaudible, and then footsteps coming for the door. The door opened and satyed that way as the boys father stood in the doorway. He glanced over at his son and said, "You can run if you want. I wouldn't blame you," with a worried smirk on his face.

"Don't think I won't chase him down, Soul!" came the voice of Maka from inside, and Soul frowned for a moment before smirking again and saying, "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry too much: I think I cooled her off a bit," while putting his hands in his pockets.

Silently, Altezio nodded and accepted his fate. His father held the door for him, rustling his hair a bit as the boy stepped through (Altezio hated that) and closed it behind him. However, just before the door closed , Altezio saw that Soul was approached by his old time teacher and perhaps, in some strange way, his friend, Professor Franken Stein. The man was still a bit taller than the Death Scythe (about a head taller, to be precise) and looked almost the same as he had so many years ago. The only true difference to his appearance was a new stitching scar from the original one (this new scar going across his forehead) and crows feet.

"Lord Death needs you at his side to...inspect...a Weapon and Meister pair that came in today." Unfortunately for Altezio, this was all he heard before the door shut with a tiny little click.

_Five Minutes Later_

Altezio sat across from his mother with a small frown on his face. For the last five minutes she had lectured him on the importance of his education: that he shouldn't just go around skipping class to fight people like her old friend Black Star, whom had honestly been gone for a year now. Altezio remembered what the spunky and energetic ninja had proclaimed before he had left with his Weapon partner, Tsubaki.

-_"I have surpassed god!" he cried, "Now, I'm going to surpass the world! My name will be so well know that people will be saying it for thousands of years! And in every language! Forever! NYAAHHAAHAHAAHAAHAA!"-_

Now, Maka was trying to look her son in the eye, but he was avoiding her gaze.

"Tezzy..." she said, using the pet name she had given him when he was five, "You're brilliant, capable of being the top of your class, but you don't put in the effort!" She must have thought something funny at this point, because she laughed a little bit before she continued, "I swear you remind me of your father a little bit more every day. Honestly, what is it with you boys and being so lazy?"

"I don't know," Altezio replied, his mouth curving up into his own signature closed mouthed half smirk, "Guess we're just cool like that." He watched as a small smile formed on his mothers face as she closed her eyes. He knew just from that that he had just got himself off the hook. Or at least he thought he was.

"All right, Mr. Cool Guy you can go, but just so you know you have detention with Sid in the library after school."

Karin

Karin Summers was happy. So happy in fact that she was practically skipping through the halls. Granted, she felt a little bad for Altezio but he was a big boy: he would be fine. She just hoped she wouldn't get in trouble as well. Sure, the Death Scythe hadn't asked her to come along, but that didn't necessarily mean that she was going to get off scott free. And she knew she was already going to get it when she saw him at home anyway.

"That's okay,: she said to herself as she began to walk, putting her hands behind her back, "He's cute when he's angry."

Karin walked by a group of boys then, and rolled her eyes when she heard all of their conversation die off and felt their eyes on her. Then again, she really couldn't see how they could do anything else but stare at her. She was wearing the standard Shibusen uniform, only she had shunned the the vest and tie, leaving her in a white button up shirt that did quite a bit to accentuate her bust. In place of the Shibusen jacket she wore her own, a faded black denim with red bordered seams and red cuffs. Her shirt was tucked into a red and black plaid skirt, and lastly she wore a pair of black tennis-shoes and a pair of knee-length black socks.

"Lookin' good, Summers!" one of the boys catcalled.

"Bite me!" she called back sweetly, her tone conveying a sense of danger that the boy obviously missed.

"Any time, any place baby!" This stopped her in her tracks and she whirled on the group, her eyes ablaze.

"You're lucky I don't lay you out right here and now, jerk!" she said. From within the group she heard a harsh laugh before someone began to push his way through the others. Finally, a boy emerged. He was a good foot or so taller than Karin, and had black hair, cut long and back like a surfer, and dark grey eyes. He was tan, and his nose was crooked, as if it had been broken more than once. He had a five o' clock shadow, and Karin knew instantly who he was just from his cocky grin.

"Rick Howle," the Weapon said venomously, "I should've known a pig like you wouldn've said something." He laughed again.

"Look who's talking. You sure talk a big game for someone so small."

"You lookin' for a fight?" she flared. Rick continued to smile as his arm flashed, turning into a shining silver gun of sorts. The barrel was slim and short, with a skull shaped iron sight on the top. Just beneath the barrel was a canister of sorts, within which was housed a seemingly endless coil of rope. Connected to this rope (through a hole in the bottom of the barrel) and stickng out from the front of the barrel was a deadly looking harpoon.

"As I recall, you're the only child of the Summers family that doesn't tranform into a tradtional weapon. Can't even fight without your partner, I hear." The young man said, eyeing his arm lovingly, then tossing a devilish grin in her direction. The group behind him seemed to chuckle all at once at her. This was the second time that day that she had been mocked for that, and she was starting to become seriously pissed off. She wasn't about to let this guy keep talking shit on her and, with the speed of a lightning strike and a ferocious snarl, she had darted forward, lifted a foot and placed it square on his chest before kicking out...hard. She realized the somewhat revealing nature of her current position and immediately lowered her leg, cursing herself over and over for acting without thinking. She also noticed, however, that she had knocked Rick into the group, so it seemed that maybe they hadn't seen anything. Slowly, the boy in question emerged from the pile of dazed and confused boys, rubbing his now re-transformed arm and chuckling softly to himself. His expression had changed drastically, so that he now seemed like a gentler person.

"You really don't know how to pull a punch, do you?" he asked calmly, but Karin merely turned her head and crossed her arms in an act that was strangely girly for her.

"After what you said you deserved it!"

"Oh come on, Karin. I only said it so that you would have a good reason to lay them out. I just didn't think you would use me to do it!" Slowly, she turned her head to face the boy as a smirk played across her features.

"Well, my kung-fu is strong!"

"Only because you stay diligent in your training, Karin-san," he said, his voice becoming overly formal as he put his fists together and gave a slight bow. Karin did the same as she replied, "Only because I train under a master, Rick-sensei." Rick laughed at this as he straightened.

"I'm no master. Even though I told you to call me Master Howle, 'cause it sounds cooler." Both master and student laughed at this remark.

"So, are you ready for a real match, Karin? I want to see just how strong you've become." Karin shook her head, her good mood returning, as she began to walk away.

"Nah, I'm supposed to meet up with Tez and Ix for lunch. Some other time, maybe. Bye!" And with that she rounded the corner and was gone while Rick called after her.

"Nice underwear, by the way!" he joked, and was rewarded with a middle finger from around the corner.

_A Few Minutes Later_

Karin found herself standing before the door leading to the Death Room. It was slightly ajar, and from the inside she could hear the faint murmurs of distant conversation. In her mind, a battle was being waged.

_"It's none of your business, Karin. Just walk away. The others are waiting for you anyway," _ her sensible "good" side told her. The little angel on her shoulder, if you will.

_"Oh come on, what's life without a little bit of danger? I bet they're talking about something really juicy, too!" _said her mischievous "bad" side. The little devil. As the two sides argued, Karin finally acted, slipping through the door without touching it. The "voices" in her head stopped, but not before she thought she heard a little chuckle from that little devil.

Karin gulped audibly as the voices ahead of her grew louder and more distinct. As she walked she gained an ever growing feeling of dread, most likely attributed to the incredulous amount of guillotines hanging ominously over her head. When she reached the last of said guillotines, she ducked down behind one of it's support pillars and peered around, observing what happened in the Death Room proper. Sitting in an almost throne-like (and not to mention perfectly symmetrical) chair was the headmaster of Shibusen: Lord Death. He wore a black cloak that was featureless except for the seemingly random jaggedness of the garment, but if one were to look close enough they would see that it was just as symmetrical as the comical skull mask upon his face. Next to the chair stood a familiar faced white haired man. He wore a black and red pinstriped suit and an incredibly bored expression on his face. His crimson orbs flicked over in Karins direction and she ducked out of sight, hoping he hadn't seen her.

"So you mean to say that you've traveled all this way to attend classes at the Academy...and ended up making a Death Scythe along the way?" someone asked, his tone somewhat cynical, and Karin knew that it could be none other than Soul. She peeked around again and, seeing that his attention was elsewhere, continued to watch.

_Souls POV_

The tiniest amount of movement caught his eye, and he glanced over just in time to see a red ponytail disappear behind one of the supports of the giant killing machine. His eye twitched involuntarily as his concerns were verified: Karin was eavesdropping.

_"Dammit Karin...you're more trouble than you're worth..."_ he thought, before turning his attention back to the couple before him. Both wore dusty white cloaks (something given to those who think they can walk across the Nevada desert. The man looked to be no more than twenty, and his black hair was just as dusty as his cloak. He seemed to have an athletic build, but the cloak made it hard to tell. The woman next to him looked just a little bit younger and had equally dusty, if longer, black hair. At first glance one would think that they were brother and sister, but Soul was surprised when the man spoke.

"Yes, my wife and I have been traveling for quite some time now, and during our travels we have defeated many pre-Kishins. More than the ninety-nine needed to create a Death Scythe, in fact."

"And the Witch?" came the baritone of Lord Death, somewhat muffled from his mask.

"We came across her in Missouri. She was like some wild animal and could control both the flora and fauna of the area."

"Surely you don't mean the Wild Witch, Terra!" asked Soul, somewhat impressed. Terra was indeed like some wild animal, in the sense that she had had the cunning of one. She was elusive, and had been a nuisance to Shibusen for years now. For this man and his wife, both of whom had had no prior training, to defeat her was...incredible.

"I...believe that was her name. I'm not really sure: she hardly spoke. Instead, she gave me this," the man continued, pulling down at the collar of his cloak to show four jagged scars that looked as if they had been made by a set of bear claws.

"Hmph..." was Souls reply. He wouldn't let them see the small amount of jealousy he was beginning to feel. It just wasn't cool. Beside him, Lord Death stood and spoke.

"Your exploits are quite remarkable, but this far from proves your skill and worth. Death Scythe," Without missing a beat, Soul transformed into his weapon form, flipping through the air and landing in Lord Deaths outstretched hand. Rather than a great white mitt, however, there was a thin, pale white hand. He clicked the butt of the scythe down on the floor lightly and waited.

"You mean..." started the woman, uncertain, "you wish us...to spar with you?"

"Yes, come at us with all your strength. Don't hold back for an instant, or it could very well cost you your lives." The couple before the Reaper exchanged a brief look of shock, but the man recovered almost instantly.

"Very well, Lord Death! Be prepared to face the wrath of Grand Meister Arturo! Amelia!" the man cried, and Soul remembered thinking to himself, _"At least he __thinks__ he's a badass,"_ before the woman transformed. She became a circular shaped weapon with blades all along the outer rim. Within the circle were inter-crossing bars that formed the shape of a star, giving the weapon the design of a pentacle. In the center of the star was a second ring that was connected to a long black cord that wrapped around Arturo's arm.

"Interesting," said Lord Death as he took a battle-ready stance while Arturo dropped the chakram so that it hung a few inches from the floor, the ring lvel with the ground. With a slight flick of his wrist, the chakram began to spin, causing the blades to become a blur around the weapon, kind of like a circular saw.

"I'm just getting started!" cried Arturo confidently as he began to swing the weapon in circles above his head before, with a mighty heave, he sent the weapon flying at his opponent. Lord Death held his ground until it seemed the weapon would take off his head, and at that exact moment the Reaper blocked, sending the chakram flying into the air, then following up by dashing at his opponent with his scythe held back for a decisive and devastating horizontal slash. Arturo saw his opponents intentions clear as day, and with a flick of the cord in his hand sent the chakram rocketing to the ground. The weapon spun around the staff of the scythe three times before embedding itself in the ground, effectively stopping Lord Deaths charge. With a confident smirk, Arturo pulled hard on the cord, freeing the chakram from the stone floor and yanking the scythe from Lord Deaths hands. Amelia knew instantly that something was amiss.

"Arturo, watch out!" she cried as Soul reverted back to his human form while leaving his arm transformed. In his other arm was wrapped up in the cord, and in his hand was the weapon itself. Before the Meister could react, Soul had landed a strong kick to his chest, knocking him down so that Soul could crouch over him, scythe held to his throat. He still wore the same bored expression.

"You have incredible potential, but you still lack training and have quite a bit to learn. You should realize that your weapon can fight without you. Nevertheless, I am impressed, and you are indeed the creator of a Death Scythe. Go and speak with Sid, the zombie: he will show you where the two of you will be staying. We will talk more on this matter later. Let him up, Soul." With a shark-like grin, Soul stood and offered the Meister a hand, which the man grudgingly took.

_Kill! Kong! Kang! Kong!_

Karin gasped as she heard the bell, and quietly made her way out of the Death Room. She had to meet up with her friends and tell them all about this right now.

Lord Death sighed heavily as he took a seat on his "throne," watching as the two newcomers left them.

"It seems that your childs Weapon Partner was eavesdropping," he said quietly, to which Soul merely grimaced and shook his head.

"Yeah. Those two cause way more trouble than I ever remember us ever doing," he said, causing Lord Death to chuckle slightly as he removed his mask. This action revealed the face of a man who could hardly qualify as being in his early twenties, let alone the thirties that he was supposed to be in. But Soul knew that that was normal: after all, Grimm Reapers aged differently that humans. Lord Death, or Death the Kid as his friends would always and forever call him, closed his amber colored eyes and leaned his head back against the wood of the chair, his smirk dissolving into a small frown. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at the small, spherical crystal that was floating above their heads. It was dark purple in color, and seemed to be floating on it's own power. Kid's behavior didn't go unnoticed by Soul, who also frowned and gazed up at the crystal.

"How many years has it been, Soul?"

"A little over...twenty years, I think. Yeah. Twenty years since we defeated Lilith and the vampires of Nosferatu."  
>"And twenty years since Erik Altezio sacrificed his own soul to save us from the influence of the Dark Wavelength. And ten since Minora and I found and defeated him."<p>

"Geez...talk about feeling old...so uncool."

"Hmph..." was Kids reply as his smirk returned as he continued to gaze at the crystal that he knew to house the soul of their friend.

"Still..." he said, uncertainty in his voice, "I wonder if we did the right thing."

Ixion

"Awh! Detention, man? That blows! And I was looking forward to destroying you in Mortal Kombat after school!" Ixion said obnoxiously as he practically inhaled the french fry he was holding. He had a wild grin plastered to his face, while Altezio merely smirked back at him.

"Yeah, but you can always play Karin," he replied, to which the girl merely glared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes and returning to her own plate, playing with the questionable food before her. The trio were sitting at the same table they usually did, back in the corner where no one would bother them. Except for today.

"Hey Witch!" said someone loudly behind Ixion, and Altezio scowled at the speaker.

"Don't you have some weights to lift or some girls to hit on, Alex. Seriously leave us alone," Karin busted up laughing at this remark before she took the baton.

"Yeah, I mean look at you: you need to get a whole lot stronger if you want to lift that thing you call a sword. Otherwise we'll just pummel you like we did this morning."

"Can it, ginger! I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to the Witch," he continued angrily. Finally, Ixion turned (smile ever present) to face his aggressor.

"You know, I never really liked the term Witch," he used air quotes on the word witch: too feminine "I always preferred Warlock. Or maybe Wizard. Yeah...Wizard sounds fantastic. Anyway, now that that's out of the way, what can I do for you?" Alex then grabbed Ixion by the collar and yanked him out of his chair. Altezio and Karin stood, but Ixion merely smiled a little wider.

"Male...female...Witch, Wizard it doesn't matter. All that counts is the soul, and you know what we use a Witches Soul for, right?" In answer, Ixion grabbed the arm that was currently keeping him suspended in the air. The larger boy realized what was about to happen all too late. Electricity flashed across Ixion's dark blue eyes before rushing through his own arm into a tazer-like shock. He made sure the shock wasn't enough to hurt the boy...badly...but it was enough to send him sprawling in the other direction. In the brief moment of stillness, Altezio took a moment to admire his best-friend and his talents.

Ixion was a tall and lanky boy, with blonde hair that spiked in every direction around his head, with blue streaks here and there that kind of looked like the brief flashes of electricity sparking between his fingers. He wore clothing more appropriate to the Nevada heat than what his friends wore: a white tee-shirt and a pair of khaki capris shorts. On his feet was a pair of flip flops. Ixion was, as one would have guessed, of Witch descent. He had come to Shibusen on the grounds that "the Witches Mass was too boring for his tastes, and he really didn't enjoy the whole 'evil' thing." On the contrary, Ixion was a well mannered boy, if sarcastic, and his powers over electricity were a great asset, especially in situations like the one he was in at the moment.

"I'm all charged up today guys!" he said confidently, his eyes flashing with electricity, "Make my day!" What followed was an all out brawl between the trio and Alex's entourage, which made for the perfect way to end a relatively normal day. Little did the trio know that they were being watched.

**So, sorry for the lack of updates on this (and other) stories, I've been having a case of writers block lately (the end to this chapter shows that, I think) Anyway, stay tuned for more, and please review, it means the world to a schmuck like me! ^.^**


	3. First Mission! Ready for a Kishin?

"No! No no no no no!" Altezio said as he threw his head back and covered his eyes, leaving the Xbox controller laying in his lap. Next to him, Ixion jumped up from the couch and raised his hands into the air, doing a little victory lap around the couch. Karin, from her seat at the kitchin table, glanced up at the commotion before rolling her eyes and returning to her magazine. Ironically, she was actually reading the most recent issue of _Game Informer._

"Dude," said Altezio, laughing, "that Fatality was crazy! How did you pull that one off?" Ixion took his seat and held his controller up for his friend to see. He was talking a mile a minute.

"It's easy, Tez! All you gotta do is hit up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, and then A," he said, but Altezio knew he was talking about the Fatality for Raiden, not the fighter he had been using, Liu Kang. He had been doing well at first but...

"Hey you up for a round, Karin?" asked Ixion, looking back at his friend. She merely shook her head as her cell phone buzzed on the tabletop, and she answered it almost instantly.

"So, how did detention go, Tez?" asked Ixion, starting up another round as the word "FIGHT!" showed up on the screen before them.

"It went," the boy said blandly, taking advantage of Ixion's momentary distraction to pull off an especially difficult combo. Ixion noticed and quickly began fighting back, saying something about that attack being a cheap shot. Conversation was sparse from then on, until Karin stepped before them.

"Awh c'mon Karin I was just about to win!" Ixion complained, while Altezio just glanced up at her, waiting for her to speak. He noticed that the clock above the television read 7:30 pm, and he had a good idea what that meant.

"You guys were tied again so shut it! Tez, your cousin called and said she needs us to come to class early tonight. Problem?"

"Several," he said, but nonetheless stood and grabbed his hoodie, donning it and flipping the hood up as he made his way out the door, with Karin following close behind. Ixion didn't really mind that he was left alone: he would just keep playing...and consider this one a win for him!

_At Shibusen_

Altezio opened the door to the classroom with a sigh, immediately being assaulted by the loud music being played inside. He couldn't really identify it, but then again it was cranked up so loud that he couldn't discern the 'music' from a jet engine.

Music and it's Effect on the Soul. That was the name of the class he had just stepped into, with Karin nearly shoving herself through behind him in order to make her way to the woman sitting at one of the desks at the back of the class. This woman was dark skinned, wearing an official looking teachers uniform and letting her equally dark hair hang down in front of her face as he head bobbed and weaved the music. When Karin approached, she looked up and smiled before hitting a button on the remote in front of her, silencing the music and leaving a strange high pitched ringing in Altezio's ears.

"You guys made it! I knew from the moment I heard your souls!" the woman said enthusiastically, jumping up and giving Karin a tight hug before looking in Altezio's direction. He hadn't moved an inch since he stepped in.

"What's his problem?" she asked in a whisper to the girl in front of her, who merely answered in her normal speaking voice.

"Him? He's just pissy that we had to come in early. He'll be fine. But anyway what did you need us to come in early for, Sarah-san? A special assignment?" Karin asked eagerly. She enjoyed this class, and felt that the music she produced here was a projection of her personality. Which, in a way, it was.

"Well," Sarah said slowly, scratching the back of her head. Sarah Albarn, for all of her technical skill and prowess, still seemed to have trouble when it came to truly speaking to her students. She had changed a lot, though, since the battle against the Shining Witch.

"Well?" asked Altezio, flipping the hair out of his eyes and gazing at her from underneath his hood. His green eyes looked tired, but held a certain determined glow that reminded the teacher so much of her cousin Maka.

"It is an assignment of sorts. See...Kid-kun wanted me to train you so that you could use your weapon form to it's full potential."

"Yeah?" said Altezio, the impatience in that one word cutting through the unnatural feeling silence. They already knew this: it was the true origin of the class afterall. Sarah had wanted to train them personally, since she herself was a musician, and Lord Death had allowed her to do this and more, hoping to realize the full potential of both her peculiar ability and to hopefully train others to do the same. Though no others had turned up capable of hearing the Soul Wavelength of another being, a connection had been found between music and the strength of ones Wavelength, though waht that connection was had yet to be determined.

"Well, I told Kid-kun how far you guys had come, and he thinks it's time for you to take on your first real mission. In fact, I'm supposed to brief you right now. I'm so excited for you guys!" Sarah answered, speaking incredibly fast and her voice just high enough to still be heard. Any higher and she'd be a dog-whistle.

"Do you really think we're ready, Sarah? I mean, we still can't even do a proper Soul Resonance...let alone fight off a Pre-Kishin and take its soul..." Karin said quietly, only to have Sarah's hand fall on her shoulder lightly.

"Karin, don't be so hard on yourself!" Sarah said cheerfully, "I've seen you guys in action, and you rock! You guys are more than ready to take on a Pre-Kishin. Besides Pre-Kishins aren't all that hard to take down, and it's not like you'll be alone: Ixion is to be assigned to go with you, as well as someone to supervise you."

"So when do we head out?" asked Altezio, finally stepping closer to them.

"Right now."

_Meanwhile_

Ixion lay on the couch with a magazine on his chest, which was slowly rising and falling with his steady breathing. Mortal Kombat had gotten boring in the short time Altezio and Karin had been gone, and he decided he would read the magazine Karin had left on the table...only to fall asleep a few minutes later.

_Ding dong_

The doorbell was a rude intrusion upon the dream the young man was having, and when he opened his eyes his vision was blurred, the light on the ceiling only making the matter worse. With a groan, the boy lifted himself off the couch and, after unceremoniously scratching himself, walked to the door and put his hand to the handle, only to recieve a shock from it. Every time, he thought.

"What?" he asked.

"Ixion Sparks?" came the voice of a man, and when the boy rubbed his eyes he noticed that he was wearing a cloak and hood that hid his face. Next to him was a woman wearing the same.

"Yeah who's asking?"

"Meister Arturo and Death Scythe Amelia. We were sent here to retrieve you. You have a mission, apparently," the man said in an official tone. Ixion was confused: usually students were supposed to take on missions themselves rather than get called out for them. This one must've been important. All at once, Ixion went from being kind of annoyed at being woken up to so pumped up he could barely contain himself. Tendrils of electricity began to shoot from his fingers to the ground as he rushed past the two, not really sure where he was going. Meanwhile, the two adults watched him, knowing they would have to point him in the right direction eventually.

"Quite the energetic one," said Amelia quietly, "Are you sure he's the one?"

"Lady Minake was quite specific in her description," Arturo replied, equally as quiet, "I have no doubt in my mind that he isn't the one."

"Do we act?" Amelia asked, watched as the boy started back up the stairs, having finally realized he had no idea what was going on.

"No...not yet."

**Wow, it's been months since I've written on these. Stuff came up, you know, the usual. Not much more for me to say. I'll be writing more often now, since apparently its when I'm at the college that things slow down for me. Strange.**


	4. The Necromancer! Resonance Achieved?

Altezio and Karin stepped up to the old hospital and stared up at it in awe. This old building building had rested at the edge of Death City for years, and the people knew that it would probably be there for many years more. It's name had long been forgotten, and for good reason: the doctors that had worked inside had all been butchers, and they had a history of killing patients that, like the name, was better left forgotten.

"So, is this it?" asked Karin, obviously displeased that they had to come here. Altezio merely sighed and nodded. He really didn't feel like being here either, and to top it all off Ixion hadn't shown up yet. At this rate it seemed they would have to do this on their own.

"Ready to go in?" Altezio asked, holding his hand out for her. She knew what he was going for, and transformed. In the boys hands, a sleek Gibson Flying V had appeared, with a few modifications, of course. The sides of the guitar were adorned with metallic studs, and the paint job matched the jacket she was wearing before: the edges were painted red, while the rest of the body was a kind of faded looking black color. On the front, the guitar had the words "Ride the Wavelength!" splattered on it haphazardly in orange paint, and the back had the words, "Battle Ax" in the same style. The instrument was connected to a portable amplifier attached to Altezio's belt, and it was just plain black. Lastly, the neck strap Altezio wore was adorned with shining silver skulls.

"Well, you ready to go in?" asked Altezio, reaching his hands far in front of himself and cracking his knuckles before he pulled the pick from behind his ear. From the amp at his side, Karin's voice rang out, static but audible.

"Yeah let's do this, Tez!" she said, the uncertainty she had felt earlier nearly completely eradicated. And so, their foray into the abandoned hospital began.

_Minutes Later_

As soon as the young boy entered the hospital, he was struck by an overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety, but it wasn't normal: it wasn't the kind that you felt when you were about to take a test, or ask the girl you like out to a dance. No. It was the kind of fear that pierced one's soul like a hot knife through butter. The kind of fear that turned grown men into blithering idiots and gods into mere shadows.

"So you feel it too, huh?" asked Karin, and Altezio merely nodded as he stepped further into the building, the door slamming ominously behind him. An insane cackling echoed ahead of them.

_Meanwhile_

"So this guy we're after..." Ixion asked, sitting in the back of the black car he was riding in, his feet hanging out the door window. Amelia and Arturo were in the front seats, with the latter of the two at the wheel. Amelia took off where the young man had left off.

"Ricardo Monteverdi, also known as the Necromancer. He was once a highly respected doctor, and worked wherever he was needed. But soon, he began to lose his mind, as there was always someone else that needed help. Soon, he lost his moral sense, and began to experiment on creating people that could more easily survive in a violent world. His creations still had life...if you could call it life. Soon after, he began to delve into ancient magics, and his soul went awry. Now, he resides in the hospital just outside of Death City, taking victims whenever he gets the chance. He must be stopped."

"Wow...you really know your stuff, huh?"

"It is my job as a Death Scythe to know every detail of my mission."

"Er...right..." Ixion said, looking out the window for a moment before beginning to drift off into a welcome doze, while in front of him the two began to silently converse.

"Should we take him now?"

"No...we need to maintain our position as long as possible. Besides, we haven't found _him_ yet."

_Back at the Hospital_

Altezio strolled almost casually, still trying to fight off the feeling that was currently rushing over him like a current. He picked the strings of the guitar slowly, letting each note reverberate off the dark walls, each string glowing as it was struck. The power behind each note shook the windows a bit. Every once in a while, the boy would hear the sound of more maniacal cackling, and he knew that he was drawing close. Blood covered the walls and floor in places.

"This is terrible...this guy can't be allowed to live anymore..." Karin said quietly, her face appearing on the face of the guitar. Her eyes were downcast, but Altezio could see a dark fury dwelling behind them before she disappeared.

"Yeah, but that's our job, right? Killing Pre-Kishins and taking their souls? It what we've been training for..." he said, but at the end was cut off by laughter, louder this time. When he looked, he saw that it had come from a stairway leading down. The door at the end, barely illuminated by the light from a window behind him, read 'Surgery.' The door was almost completely covered in blood.

"Looks like that's where we go next," muttered Altezio, taking the steps slowly and deliberately, noting the change in the temperature as he descended. It wasn't long before he could see his breath, and when his hand touched the handle to the door he pulled his hand away with a jump: it was cold as ice! Nevertheless, he grabbed it again and pushed, forcing the door open. On the other side was a pile of random items: a desk, a chair, papers, etc.

_"Probably means he gets in and out from somewhere else...or he knew we were coming,"_ he thought, working his way around the debris. He now found himself in a short hallway. The lights were on, but they flickered ominously every few seconds. Bright lights could be seen shining through the dusty windows of the double doors in front of him. He made his way down the hall, feeling the chill in the air deepen as he neared the door.

"Hold on, Tez," whispered Karin from the amp, "I think I can hear someone talking." Stopping, the boy knelt and put his ear to the door, slowing his breathing and closing his eyes so that he could hear better.

"If I replace the bones with titanium...the skin with scales...yes...yes yes yes yes that would work perfectly. But the subject wouldn't survive. I need more power...more souls...so that I can keep them alive and make them better...stronger...faster...yes...eheh..haaha!" The voice was strained and, to Altezio, completely insane. Then, he heard a whimpering sound and the mettalic ring of a blade, and his body acted on it's own.

"Tez what are you doing?" yelled Karin as he busted through the door, finding himself in a wide circular chamber. Ten feet up were enclosed seats, for people to watch the surgery take place. In the center was a man in a bloodied lab coat, holding a butcher knife, and standing over a small boy. The boy had various lacerations, but he looked okay regardless. The man, however, looked startled, his wide eyes turning toward the boy currently rushing him. Along the walls were empty gurneys with white blankets upon them, but the boy didn't have much time to see. Altezio leapt into the air, unhooking the guitar and swinging it back over his head before bringing it back down like an ax.

"Hrrrraaaah!" he cried, barely missing as the man leapt back with unnatural quickness, the guitar crashing against the stone floor and leaving a small crater.

"Ow! Tez you asshole that hurts!" Karin cried as he reconnected the strap and took a defensive stance, placing himself between the boy and his enemy.

"Who the hell are you?" the man asked, his voice carrying a menacing power on it's own. The knife in his hand glistened in the light of the fluorescents above them, and he could clearly see the dried blood on it.

"My name is Altezio Evans: One-Star Meister and bringer of your destruction!" Altezio said strongly, holding the guitar at the ready, his pick resting lightly on the strings. But the man merely began to laugh at him.

"One-Star? That's all they send for me? And not only that, but you lack a proper weapon as well! How do you plan to fight me?" the man asked, before falling back into fits of insane laughter. Altezio, annoyed at this point, answered by playing a quick ascending scale that filled the room with enough power to shatter the windows of the enclosure above them, raining down glass on the two. The man ceased his laughter then, a devilish smile now onhis lips.

"I see...you use your Soul Wavelength to power the amplifier, and your weapon uses her own to produce soundwaves and launch them at your target with destructive results...interesting." Altezio didn't give the man any more time to react: he already knew too much about how Karin and he worked. He quickly played a few chords, making the man his target. The result was somewhat more powerful than he had anticipated, and caused an explosion of energy, sending up dust and debris and concealing the man they had just blown away.

"Ha! That was easy!" came Karin's voice from the amplifier, triumphant. Then she became serious and almost angry as her form appeared in the face of the guitar and she looked up at her Meister.

"But Tez what were you thinking, just barging in like that? You could have gotten us killed!" she finished, and the boy was about to answer when he heard the little boy cry out from behind him.

"Look out!" he cried, but it was too late. Like a bolt of lightning, the man shot out of the cloud of dust caused by Altezios attack and caught the young boy by the neck. The man continued his charge until they hit the door Altezio had come in. It didn't open both ways.

"A nice attempt, but a single One-Star Meister and his Weapon aren't enough to defeat someone like me," the man said, tightening his grip. Altezio began to feel freezing cold where the mans fingers met the skin on his throat.

"However, I feel you have...earned my name. I am Ricardo Monteverdi, the Necromancer," he said, smirking as the cold feeling dug deeper, "feel privileged that your bodies won't go to waste." Altezio closed his eyes as the Necromancer brought the knife up to his throat.

"Spell 706!" came a familiar voice from behind the Necromancer. The man let out a cry of pain as a flash of yellow light struck him in the back. Karin took this small chance she had been given, partially transforming so that her torso stuck out from the face of the guitar, and cocked her fist back, striking the Necromancer as hard as she could. He recoiled and stumbled back, holding is nose. Behind him, standing at a door at the opposite end of the room, was Ixion, as well as two cloaked figures that Karin recognized as the new Death Scythe, Amelia, and her partner Arturo.

"Nice shot!" called Ixion, stepping forward and unstrapping the little boy on the gurney. The Necromancer began to step up to the blonde wizard when he noticed the power coming from the two still standing by the door.

"Eh? Death Scythe, hm? This is no good," the Necromancer muttered before saying, "I suppose it's time for me to make my exit." Then, he made a few complex motions with his hands, a cold energy spreading throughout the room, the lights flickering a moment before returning to normal.

"Well, so long kiddies!" the Necromancer said, leaping with unnatural strength and agility, landing in one of the open windows of the enclosure above.

"My Creations will keep you company," he said with a smirk before turning and disappearing from view. Altezio tried to follow, somehow, but was stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw next: the gurneys along the walls, the ones had thought were empty, began to move. When he looked at them directly, he noticed that there had indeed been bodies, and now they were shifting. White hands shot up from underneath the sheets, followed by the walking corpses of men and women of varying ages, some with rough looking green patches: scales. Altezio watched in horror as one of them began to shuffle toward the boy, who was frozen in fear.

"Tez do something!" cried Karin, and he snapped into action. He braced himself and struck the guitar strings, sending a powerful, energy filled soundwave at the Creation. The effect was immediate, with the creature being flung across the room. Arturo, who had just dispatched one of the beings with his weapon, noticed the now airborn monster and took advantage, launching his chakram at it. The weapon spun around it, wrapping it in it's cord. Then, Arturo swung his arm down, whipping the Creation to the ground. As a final touch, he pulled the cord, unraveling it and bringing the chakram across it's already broken torso, cutting it in half. Once the weapon returned to his hand, Arturo looked over to Altezio and Ixion and yelled to them.

"Get after him! We'll take care of these! Go!"

"No problem! Race you there, Tez!" Ixion cried after launching another Creation against a wall. Then, he ran to the center of the room again and leapt from the gurney, holding his palms flat toward the ground and launching a blast of electricity to send him higher. He landed somewhat gracefully on the ledge and raced off after the Necromancer. Altezio, on the other hand, raced to the center of the room and checked on the little boy, who was currently hiding underneath the gurney.

"This isn't a race, Ix! Are you okay?" he asked, yelling after his friend before turning his attention to the boy. Though his cheeks were stained with fresh tears, he nodded. The young Meister gave a small smirk.

"Okay good. I need you to get out of here, quick. Did you see how I came in?" he asked, answered with another nod and a sniffle.

"Good, I need you to take that door and run. It shouldn't be to hard for yo to find your way out. Go!" he said, and in response the little boy darted, pulling the door open and disappearing.

"Let's move, Tez!" Karin said harshly, though he could tell from the feel of her wavelength that she wasn't really mad. If anything, she was actually anxious to catch up with Ixion. Wasting no more time, the boy looked up, trying to figure his trajectory, and then struck all the strings at once. The resulting blast was enough to launch him up into the enclosure. After landing, he shot after Ixion.

_Meanwhile_

Arturo watched as the white haired boy chased after his friend and their enemy before turning his attention to the shambling undead monstrosities before him. Twelve Creations remained standing, and were all shambling toward him.

"Let's destroy these pitiful excuses of life, Amelia."

"Right," she answered quietly.

"Soul Resonance...Activate!" the two said in unison, their voices calm and collected. The resulting spike in their power was enough to make the Creations stumble backward, and the two (Amelia still in Weapon Form) became engulfed in a peculiar aura. It was both warm and cold. Strong and Weak. Alive and dead, all at the same time. Arturo brought his weapon up in front of his face, the star pattern it displayed pointing upward, and opened his eyes. They were pitch black.

"May the everbinding circle have mercy on your pitiful souls. Find rest," Arturo began.

"Life," Amelia continued,

"And Death," Arturo answered, before both began speaking in unison.

"Together as one, completing the circle. Your souls are ours." they finished. As if this speech had tapped into an unknown well of ancient power, the chakram in his hand began to glow with an ethereal light. As Arturo cocked his arm back to throw the weapon, it began to glow brighter. He swung and released it, a creating a ribbon of light that pierced all the Creations before them. Each fell in silence as the weapon returned to his hand. After a few moments, the light faded.

"Do you think they will be all right?" asked Amelia, transforming and standing next to her Meister. Her eyes were glowing white.

"Most likely," Arturo replied, his eyes still black as night, "this...Necromancer is a pushover. The might of the three combined will be more than enough to thwart him."

_Altezio_

Altezio finally met up with Ixion to find him trading blows with the Necromancer. The Necromancer was powerful, to be sure: his Wavelength was visible as a pale aura around his hands as he fought. However, Ixion was easily matching him, electricity jumping from his hands and arms to the floor and walls. The Necromancer's knife lay forgotten on the floor nearby.

"Impertinent brat!" the Necromancer growled, ducking a haymaker swing before delivering three quick, but strong, jabs to the boys abdomen. Ixion doubled over in pain and was caught by the neck in one of his opponents hands. With barely an effort, the Necromancer lifted the boy up into the air before smiling insanely.

"I'm going to enjoy draining the life from you before I devour your soul, wizard," he said, and Altezio watched as the electricity began to fizzle and weaken while Ixion's face grew pale. The boy tried to free himself, but soon his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his head bobbed back.

"Tez, we have to help him, now!" cried Karin.

"Right! Soul Resonance!" he answered, bracing himself. He felt Karin's wavelength waver.

"But...we can't. We've never been able to..." she said quietly.

"Yes we can! I believe in us...target the Necromancer and let's give him everything we've got!" Altezio cried, raising his skull-shaped pick high as he and his partner began to synchronize their wavelengths. Normally, when they would try a Soul Resonance, Karin's Soul Wavelength would always jump way out of Altezio's reach. This was something to be expected, since Altezio was generally a much less excitable person compared to his eccentric Weapon Partner. But today was different. Today, Altezio's wavelength was high and strong, pulling Karin's in to match it almost perfectly, and the result was astounding. The guitar strings began to glow as if they were red-hot, and the studs along the sides lengthened and sharpened into small spikes. Their combined power was enough to sitr the detritus around them, and this of course caught the attention of the Necromancer.

"Ah, it seems the other children have come to play as well, hm? Very well, I will finish him after I've dealt with you," he said, dropping the now dangerously pale Ixion to teh floor before turning to Altezio. He began to walk, slowly, toward them, picking up his knife as he did so.

"Soul Resonance!" the duo cried as Altezio brought the pick down on the strings, "Shattering Soundwaves!" From the chord he played, the young Meister dropped into the fastest and hardest song he could think of, and the result corresponded with it nicely. The Necromancer, who had begun to charge moments before, was stopped dead in his tracks as the attack passed over him. Altezio played faster, the energy picking up in response. The fluorescent lights above shattered, as well as the windows in the doors throughout the hall. The soundwave pushed the Necromancer back, ripping up his lab coat and shattering his knife as if it too had been made of glass.

"No..." the Necromancer muttered, losing his balance as he began to weaken. The sound began to rip at his flesh as well, "...it wasn't supposed to be like this..."

"Let's finish this guy!" cried Karin, and Altezio nodded as he raised his hand for the final chord of the song. He jumped as he brought the pick back down, landing on his knees and leaning back a bit. The Necromancer was blown back through the air, his body dissolving before he even hit the ground and leaving a Kishin Egg behind, glowing red in the now dark hallway. Altezio, coming back to his senses, stood and rushed to his friends side, Karin transforming and looking over her Meister's shoulder nervously.

"Ix! Are you all right?" asked Altezio, grabbing the young wizard by the shoulders and shaking him lightly. Ixion's ey fluttered open before he groaned and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Geez...why do I feel like I got run over by a train...and what happened to the creepy old man?" he said as Altezio helped him to his feet. Then, the three turned to look upon the first Kishin Egg they had truly seen.

"So," Karin began, breaking the silence, "what are we supposed to do with that thing?" Altezio and Ixion shared a smirk before answering.

"Well, my dad always said he would eat them."

"What?" cried Karin, obviously not looking forward to such an endeavor.

"Yeah," Ixion continued, taking off where Altezio had left off, "and from what I've heard around Shibusen all the other Weapons eat them as well. Looks like you really don't have much of a choice." Karin would have argued, but she noticed the look on both of their faces told her that she would be hard pressed to shut them up. With a grimace, she pinched the wisp at the top of the soul and lifted it to her mouth, before pulling it in quickly with her tongue and swallowing it whole.

"Hey," she said, brightening, "it wasn't that bad!"

_Back in Death City_

"You did well," said Lord Death, addressing the three teenagers before him, "The Necromancer was overconfident in his abilities. However, though may have been physically weak, he was most dangerous with his strange natural ability to ressurect the dead, and he had already claimed many victims at that point. It's clear that your abilities have improved greatly since the two of you first met."

"Thank you, Lord Death," they both said, not quite in unison, before giving a couple of brief bows. They couldn't see it, but Lord Death smiled behind his mask.

"And you, Ixion, have grown more powerful as well. I feel relieved to know that accepting you into Shibusen was indeed a wise decision."

"Thanks," Ixion replied, not entirely sure how to take such a comment. Meanwhile, Altezio took a quick glance to his father, who was debriefing Amelia and Arturo. The older man caught his son's gaze and gave a brief approving smirk before returning to his conversation.

"You've proven you can handle the eradication of Pre-Kishins. Starting now, the two of you are free to take missions. You know where the mission board is surely so I don't have to go over that. Sarah?" Lord Death continued, addressing the three before looking over their shoulders at the woman sitting behind them, listening to her iPod.

"Yes, Kid-kun? she asked, standing and ignoring the audible sigh of defeat from the Shinigami.

"From what I've heard today, Altezio and Karin have successfully achieved Soul Resonance: something we've been waiting for. From now on, I would like for you to give them private lessons in addition to their regular classes. I want them to temper this new skill into a powerful tool. What they experienced earlier was less of an actual attack and more of a random burst of energy."

"Okie-dokie!" she said, giving Lord Death a thumbs up before turning her attention to the pair. There was a gleam in her eye that gave Altezio the chills.

"We'll figure it out even if it kills us!"

"Yeah!" Karin joined in eagerly. Altezio seemed to be the only one none too pleased about extra classes. Meanwhile, Ixion raised his hand.

"Yes?" asked Lord Death, almost impatiently.

"What about me, sir? I want to keep getting stronger, too," Ixion said, and he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Arturo had turned to look at them now: the man was intrigued. It freaked Ixion out.

"You will continue your lessons with Soul and I. Our experience with Witches will be more than enough to help us hone your skills," Lord Death replied, looking over to his Death Scythe, who merely nodded, "And with that, you are all dismissed. Well done on your first mission: I hope to see more sterling results in the future as well, you know!"

_Meanwhile..._

He walked briskly, his white bandaged feet barely makind a sound on the hardwood floors. One would think that the old wooden planks would creak underfoot, but they didn't: it was almost as if he weren't touching them at all. He wore baggy, white cloth pants, the hems of which were also wrapped in bandages. Covering his chest was a tighter fitting shirt made of the same white cloth. Underneath, one could see his six pack abs, as well as more bandages wrapped around his torso. Over this shirt was an open, light green vest with several small pockets on the outside, all filled with various items of importance. On the inside, which was black in color, were many loops and bands holding small knives and shuriken. Around his neck he wore a long scarf the same color as his vest. The scarf wrapped around his neck several times, covering his mouth and nose, and hung down by his legs. His eyes were blue-green, but something was off about them: they seemed to be glazed over, and held little to no expression whatsoever. Lastly, his hair was black, and would have hung down past his shoulders had it not been for the way it seemed to be stuck permanently to the side, as if it was held there by wind. In his hair one could see white streaks here and there.

Soon, he came upon a flight of stairs and climbed them just as quickly ans quietly as he had done before. At the top of them was a hall, leading to a single door. He made his way to this door and knocked. Upon doing this, it opened slowly, revealing a room that was pitch black. The darkness was so intense that one might have felt as if they could reach out and grab a piece of it. From inside came a female voice, somewhat lower than average but friendly enough.

"Good evening, Cyclone."

"Good evening, m'Lady," he replied, his voice as expressionless as his eyes were. He crossed his arm over his stomach and gave a slight bow, holding there.

"There is no need for such formality, Cyclone," the female said with a laugh, and he immediately straightened back up.

"My apologies. May I ask why I have been called, m'Lady?"

"You may. Tell me, have they reached Death City yet?"

"Yes," he answered shortly. There was a moment or two of silence before he was answered.

"And have they acted?" she asked impatiently.

"No. They still have yet to find the vampire's body. But they have found the boy."

"Hmph. At least Arturo can do something right, despite his arrogance. Return to them, and tell them to act soon. I grow tired of waiting."

"Yes, m'Lady." 

**And there you have it. What will happen next I wonder? Tune in next time to find out! And please, leave a review for good measure!**


	5. Spirit's Story 1! Hard Times?

**Okay so, update. I'm sorry that my updating has been kind of slow, but I realize that I do most of my writing in classes. I have plenty written, I just have to type it. Anyway, on to the storytelling. Enjoy.**

The night air outside of T.J. McGinnings' Pub was chilly, and a heavy fog blanketed the quiet little village of O'Harasburg. The plain wooden sign above the door swung lazily in the slight breeze, and from inside the tavern came several angry voices.

"I reckon ye've had enough, boyo!" a distinctly Irish voice yelled, answered almost immediately by a louder (and drunker) American voice.

"Are you kidding? I...I-I've only had...uhm...four? Yeah, I've only had four!"

"Ye mean fourteen, ye great lout! Now put down that glass 'fore you break it!"

"Fine, I'll put it down!" the American voice said, followed shortly after by a the sound of shattering glass and chairs being pushed out. There was the sound of struggle and angry shouts before the door burst open and a red haired man was sent flying through the door, followed by three rather stout looking Irish men. The one to the side had short red hair, freckles, and a Neanderthalic brow. The man in the center was shorter than the others, and was balding. The last seemed to be the most intelligent looking, but one eye seemed to be permanently swollen shut. All of them held shillelagh's and bore down on the man. The two on the sides hauled the man up before the balding man spoke.

"Ye've really done it now. It don't take much to make ol' T.J. mad, but ye've gone and broken 'is favorite glass. But, seein' as how you can't even keep yer eyes focused, I'll take a little mercy on ye: give us all the cash on ye and get outta town, and I reckon T.J. will forgive ye."

"Bite me," the man slurred in response, shaking his head a little. The balding man's smug grin faded as he looked at the man in disbelief before turning to the man on his right.

"Geoffrey get 'is wallet."

"Aye, boss," the man responded, stepping forward and easily pilfering his wallet before the man could react. When he opened it, he showed the balding man that it was empty.

"Oh...boyo, you're in quite the pickle now, aren't ye? None at all? How did you plan on payin' for all yer drinks?"

"Didn't."

"Ah. Well, I suppose that's all right. We can always take payment in blood, can't we lads?" At this, the three began to advance on the man. He sobered up almost instantly, noticing the predicament he was in. He had to do something, quick. If he didn't, he probably wouldn't be seeing tomorrow. He decided to do the most threatening thing his alcohol saturated brain could come up with: there was a flash of silver light as black scythes shot up from his arm and shoulder. Usually, he was more organized with his tranformations, but he decided the sloppiness made it look more menacing. It did what he wanted though: the men stopped dead in their tracks. The balding man was the first to regain his composure.

"Yer a Weapon, then?"

"Not just any Weapon!" the man said, doing his best not to slur his words as he allowed a menacing smile to play on his lips, "My name is Spirit! Spirit Albarn, Death Scythe! Now back off!" The balding man looked Spirit up and down, then looked over at his boys, then back at Spirit.

"Fine," he said, shrugging, "don't pay up. But I suggest ye make yerself scarce while yer still healthy. And if ye ever come back to T.J.'s, well, let's just say Alan here never misses." After this barely veiled threat, the three men walked back into the pub, the door slamming behind them.

"That's right...you...you better run!" Spirit said, his drunken state returning as his arm went back to normal. He began to stuble away, laughing a bit as he put his hand over his face.

"God, I'm so glad they didn't realize as...as a Death Scythe I can't...can't attack civil...somethings," he muttered, smiling wide as he reached into his jacket and produced a pint of Guiness: something he grabbed on his way out. He tipped the dark green bottle back and drank deep, some of the precious liqud finding its way out of his mouth and onto his suit jacket. He wiped his mouth sloppily when he finished, half the bottle now empty.

Spirit stumbled all the way to the edge of town before he found himself standing in front of a storefront window. Since it was so dark inside, he was able to see his reflection: a man wearing what was once a well-tailored suit, one which was now crumpled and stained in many places. The jacket was wide open, the tie hung loosely around his neck, the white shirt was untucked and filthy, and the black leather shoes were scuffed and worn. The man's face was covered in what appeared to layers of red stubble, his blue eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was matted and filthy.

"What are you staring at, loser?" he asked the reflection, putting his hands against the glass and putting his face inches away.

"You don't know me! You just keep on walkin'!" he yelled, before turning and collapsing against the building. He tipped the bottle of Guiness back and drained it before tossing the bottle away, making it shatter in the middle of the road. He wiped his mouth again before putting his head in his hands.

"What happened to me?"

_Ten years earlier_

Spirit walked after his now grown daughter quickly, trying to keep up with her brisk pace.

"Maka, sweetie, can't we talk about this?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Spirit. I don't want you hanging around Altezio when he comes here and turning him into someone like you."

"And what do you mean by that?" Spirit asked angrily, "Altezio is my only grandson and I have the right to see him!" At this, Maka turned on him and snapped.

"You are a womanizing pig! You should have stopped years ago but you didn't! Even after Mama left. Why in Shinigami's name would I want you around? Hell, why would anyone want you around?" she yelled, getting right in his face. He said nothing, so she just turned and stormed away, leaving behind a very injured Spirit.

A day later, Spirit was standing in the Death Room speaking to Death the Kid, now Lord Death, in the Death Room. He had requested that the current Death Scythe, Soul, not be present for this meeting.

"A transfer, Death Scythe?" Kid asked, using the same nickname his father had used for the man. Kid wasn't wearing the Death Uniform, so his raised eyebrow was quite visible.

"Why would you want that?"

"I feel my services would be best utilized someplace else. Death City doesn't need two active Death Scythe's, especially in times of peace," Spirit answered, trying to sound as professional as possible. Of course, he had to if he wanted to tell a convincing lie. Kid put a hand to his chin in thought for a moment before closing his eyes and nodding.

"Very well. Your logic seems sound enough. There aren't many positions available, but I think we can work something out. Is there anywhere in particular you're interested in?"

"Anywhere I'm needed," Spirit answered.

"All right. It will be something of a stretch but I think I can place you somewhere in Europe. I expect monthly reports on Pre-Kishin activity while you are there. Your Shibusen Identification Card will be more than enough to get you there."

"Thank you, Lord Death," Spirit asnwered, walking away.

"It's no trouble, Spirit," Kid answered, hiding the worry he felt, "Good luck."

_Present_

Spirit lay on his side now, a blank stare on his face as he let the memories wash over him in waves. He had left immediately, not even bothering to say goodbye to anyone. In fact, the only person who knew he had gone was Lord Death, and even then he was sure Lord Death didn't know that he was in Ireland now. As far as the people in the Academy knew, Spirit Albarn had ceased to exist. It hadn't always been that way though.

_Five years earlier_

"So the Pre-Kishin has been taken care of?" asked Lord Death, his image seeming to glow in the bathroom mirror. Spirit nodded.

"Yeah, I killed him. He was the last I could find here in London. He was definitely too strong for normal students to handle. I've sent the soul for you in a containment unit."

"Excellent. So I take it you will be moving on to another city?"

"Yes. I will be continuing my search and will have another report ready for you next month. Spirit out."

"So long, Spirit," said Lord Death before the mirror returned to its normal state, showing a battered and exhausted looking Spirit.

_"I can't keep this up,"_ he thought, turning on the faucet and cupping his hands under the cool water. He splashed the water up to his face and washed away the specks of blood and dirt.

_"This last one nearly killed me...I'm getting too old for this,"_ he thought. And indeed he was getting older. The wrinkles next to his eyes and on his forehead were testaments to this.

_Present_

Spirit sighed, his eyes drifting shut now. That had been the last time he had contacted Shibusen. As darkness began to take him, he quietly wondered to himself if they had even noticed...or if anyone even cared.

**Pretty depressing, I know, but I have somewhere I'm going with this trust me. I hope you enjoyed and, as always, read and review for me!**


	6. Strength of Soul! Treachery Imminent?

**Please bear with me on this chapter, as some of the information escapes me with some of the details. Small things though, so it shouldn't cause any problems.**

Sarah Albarn sat in the Black Room, playing a slow beat on a small drum in her lap.

"Can you hear it yet, Altezio?" she asked, somewhat worried. Behind her stood a woman, identical to her in almost every way save for her violet colored eyes and insane smirk.

"He hasn't heard it yet, what makes you think think he will hear it now?"

"Quiet, Kikame."

"No. No I'm sorry Sarah-sensei, but I can't hear anything," Altezio answered, his voice carrying through to the Black Room as if he were sitting there with her. In reality, he was sitting in front of her in her classroom, his eyes closed tight with concentration.

"Strange..." thought Sarah, stopping the beat and putting a hand to her chin in thought, "most students can hear it by now. Maybe I should try something else."

"Isn't his weapon a guitar?" suggested Kikame knowingly, her tone smug. Just like that a light went off in Sarah's head.

"Of course!"

"What?" asked Altezio with concern.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this before!" she exclaimed, ignoring the boy.

"Tell me already!" Altezio said, frustrated. Sarah still didn't answer, but instead, in the Black Room, stood and replaced her drum with a red and purple Fender electric guitar, hooked up to a full sized amp that she promptly sat upon.

"Ready?" she asked cheerfully, fully confident that this would work. Kikame, meanwhile, made herself scarce as she always did when Sarah invited students into the Black Room.

"I guess," said Altezio, giving up on trying to figure out what she was going to do. Smiling, Sarah started to play, a slow and strange melody that seemed to pierce the very soul. Altezio didn't hear anything at first, and was beginning to think that Sarah was just wasting his time. Then, all at once, he felt it: a slight tugging at his navel. Then, behind his closed eyes, he saw a pale blue soul take form, Sarah's music drifting from it lazily. Curious, Altezio tried to will himself closer, finding that it indeed worked. Moments after he seemed to make contact with the soul, he found himself standing in a dark room, with Sarah sitting before him on an amp.

"Cool! It worked!" she cried with excitement, stopping her playing and hopping down before looking Altezio up and down.

"Yup. You look just as good as your father did in a suit when he was your age," she said, and Altezio looked down to find himself in a mostly black suit, with a yellow tie.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"This is the Black Room, my own little sanctuary. Well, sort of. But that's not what I wanted to teach you today."

"Then what did you want you teach me?" he asked, putting emphasis on the word 'did', "This seems kinf of pointless." Sarah ignored him completely as she continued.

"Nope. What you learned today was the first step to what I fondly call S.S.P."

"S.S.P.?"

"Soul Sound Perception!" she exclaimed, raising a finger into the air as if this knowledge had led them to a major breakthrough in Altezio's learning.

"Sound?" the boy asked, confused.

"Yes, sound," she answered matter-of-factly, finally listening as she gave him a big smile.

"But...I can already _see_ souls. What good does this do me?" he asked, and Sarah looked apalled.

"Well," she began somewhat agitatedly, "if you must know, it will help you to predict an enemies movements, as well as allow you to learn an aspect of their personality once you get good enough. But our main goal with it is to help you tune your own Soul Wavelength to match Karin's, so that you two can use a real Sou Resonance." At this small lecture, Altezio went silent.

"And, now that we've gotten this far, we can start the hard stuff!" she said with a strangely maniacal smile. Altezio groaned.

_The Death Room_

"Again," said Lord Death tonelessly. Ixion stood panting in the middle of the Death Room, his arms resting on his legs as he hunched over. Char marks could be seen on almost every surface of the room: the floor, the walls, and even the ceiling had streaks of black across them. The only place free of them was the spot where Lord Death stood, scythe in hand.

"Come on," Ixion stuttered between breaths, "We've been at this. For hourss."

"Yes, yes I know. But if you want to become more powerful then you have to perfect your form. The best way to improve your particular type of magic is to practice and fine tune it," Lord Dath answered. Ixion silently nodded and straightened up, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to center himself. He focused, a magic circle appearinf and glowing with a faint yellow light around him.

"Spell 1201," he said, cocking his arm back as a spear of pure electricity formed in his hand. With a small cry he launched it high into the air above Lord Death.

"Lightning Cage!" he yelled, swinging his arms downward, crossing them. The spear split into several different arcs that rained down in a circular formation, creating a cage that surrounded the Shinigami. Ixion kept his arms held down, obviously to keep the cage from dissipating.

"Very good," Lord Death said, "but your control of it is still too physical. You need to be able to follow up with other attacks, but you're preoccupied with keeping the spell active. Also," the man continued, stepping up to on of the electric bars, "your control over them is much too tenuous." With that, he reached out and wrapped a hand around the bar. Rather than hurting the Shinigami, the bar snapped. The resulting force of the cage breaking was enough to bring the young wizard to his knees. Slowly, Lord Death walked over to the boy and offered a hand, which Ixion took grudgingly. For the briefest of moments, their souls connected, and Lord Death noticed something...off. He said nothing about it, but his concern was clear to Soul, still in scythe form. When Ixion was on his feet, Lord Death gazed at the boy from behind his mask.

"So..." Ixion started, feeling a little self-concious, "what do you want me to do?"

"For now, get some rest. But work on controlling your spells with your mind more than with your body. Dismissed." Saying nothing, Ixion stretched before trudging away, obviously worn out from the days training. He knew, as soon as he got home, he would be crashing on the couch, whether or not anyone was on it.

"What do you think, Kid?" asked Soul, transforming and standing next to his old friend with his hands in his suit pockets. Kid slowly walked back to his chair and sat, resting his head to the side, his hand holding it up. For some reason, he was painfully aware of the mirror on the other side of it.

"It...was probably nothing. Still, we should keep an eye on him."

"You don't trust him then?"

"No...that's not it. Something just didn't feel right. And one can never be too safe." At this, Kid noticed that Elizabeth Thompson was making her way up the hallway toward him. SHe was in her thirties, as they all were, but her being a Death Scythe made her look as if she wasn't a day over twenty. She still wore the same basic outfit, but more sensible with pants and a longer shirt. She looked nervous.

"Hey Liz, what's up?" asked Soul with a conversational tone.

"Nothin' much..." she started before looking up at Lord Death, "Kid?"

"Yes?" he asked, knowing already what was she was going to ask him.

"May I...see him?"

"I suppose."

_Meanwhile..._

Amelia and Arturo were walking back to Shibusen. They had been getting a basic layout of the city for future reference, but since night had fallen they decided that it would be best if they made their way back, so as not to arouse any suspicion. The moon laughed quietly above them, blood flowing freely from it's slightly open maw. A bad omen, supposedly.

"Someone is coming," Amelia said quietly, feeling the wind pick up and sensing a powerful energy within it. It wasn't long before a person appeared out of nowhere before them, seem to emerge from the wind itself.

"Good evening, Cyclone," Amelia said politely. Arturo, on the other hand, seemed annoyed more than anything.

"You aren't supposed to interact with us, Wind Mage! You'll blow our cover." Arturo said, but Cylcone merely gazed at the man with his emotionless eyes for a moment before responding.

"All of this i know. I would not be here had Lady Minake not requested I be. She wanted me to speak with you." At this, Arturo clammed up, and Cyclone waited a moment. When there was no retort, he nodded and continued.

"Have you found the vampire's body yet?"

"Not yet," Amelia answered when Arturo wouldn't, "but I've been feeling a strange energy pulsating from the mirror in the Death Room. I think that may be our best bet."

"Good. And the boy?"

"He's not really worth it right now," Arturo said finally, crossing his arms and keeping his gaze away from the other man's, "and either way his allegiance to Lord Death is too true: if we tried to convert or kidnap him he would only fight back." Cyclone was silent, turning as he thought carefully about what he would say. Finally, after a few steps forward, he replied.

"Very well. I will inform her ladyship of this. She grows impatient, and wants to see results. Act tonight, if you must, but produce results," he said tonelessly, and with that last sentiment his body just seemed to dissipate, blowing away like dust in the wind. Arturo smiled: he may have been serious before about keeping his identity secret, but he had been waiting for his time to strike since they had arrived in Death City.

"What are we to do then, Arturo?" Amelia asked.

"W'eve been given the go ahead. Let's go show these fools what true power over life and death means!"

"Well..." Amelia started, her tone as calm as ever, "if we must act, we should go now. I can feel a spike of energy coming from the Academy. I think this may be our only chance."

"Then let's go!" Arturo demanded, "Soul Protect, Release!"

_Back in the Death Room_

Lord Death was the only one in the room to feel it: the power of a Witch's Soul being released...a Soul Protect fading. Soul noticed the the change in his friend's stance and whispered.

"What's up, Kid?"

"Something is amiss," he said before turning his attention to Liz, who was staring longinly into the mirror before her. Rather than her own reflection, however, the mirror showed an expanse of darkness, Visible in the center of this darkness was a young-looking male, maybe seventeen or eighteen. His arms were held out wide, wrapped in chains that extended down to his torso and held him aloft. His chin was resting limply on his chest, his long brown hair hanging down around his shoulders. The chains were black , and seemed to stretch off into nothing in the darkness. The only visible garments he wore was a black leather trenchcoat missing the left sleeve, the other barely hanging on at the shoulder, and a pair of old black tennis shoes. Anything else he was wearing was hidden by the coat.

"Liz," Lord Death said calmly. She turned to look at him sadly.

"Yes?"

"Go and find all of the Three-Star Meisters you can in the school. Tell them to come to the Death Room immediately. Maka and Sarah should still be here, but bring anyone else you can. Quickly." Feeling the urgency in her Meisters tone, Liz almost ran down the hallway. Lord Death made a gesture with his hand, and the image within it faded away, turning the mirror back to it's original state.

"What's going on, Kid?" asked Soul with concern.

"We're about to find out,' Lord Death replied, feeling the Witch's Soul approach. Soul gasped and stepped back as part of teh wall seemed to just melt away, and two people, a Witch and a Wizard, stepped in. One was very pale, and his eyes were jet black. A shadowy aura surrounded him. The other seemed to shine with a dim light, and her eyes were bright white.

"I knew there was something weird about you two!" Soul exclaimed before transforming into his scythe form. Lord Death said nothing, but took the scythe in hand before pulling his cloak and mask away, revealing a young looking man in a well pressed, and perfectly symmetrical, suit. His hair was cut perfectly, and was symmetrical aside from three horizontal lines on the left side. His amber eyes burned with fury. The Wizard merely smiled arrogantly.

"Hello, Lord Death."

**Dunh dunh dunh! What will happen next? You probably have a good idea. Stay tuned and please, for the kittehs, read and review.**


	7. Rebirth! A Life and Death Situation?

The Death Room was quiet, save for the wind blowing in from the freshly made hole in the wall. Neither the Witch nor the Wizard nor the Shinigami made a move, both parties waiting for the other to strike first. When it seemed that neither was ready to attack, Lord Death began to speak, hoping to buy even more time for his reinforcments to arrive.

"Arturo and Amelia. I thought it strange that a Death Scythe and her Meister could just walk in off the streets. I suppose I was just hoping. Hoping that people were learning to defend themselves from the evils of this world without our aid. Seems I was wrong in thinking that was even possible," he paused for a moment before raising an eyebrow at them, "It is also strange that you would elect to come out of hiding so soon."

"We act out of necessity, Shinigami," said Amelia calmly, dropping the shy and respectful act she had displayed the first time they had met.

"Completely understandable," said Lord Death slowly, not entirely understanding what she meant, but bluffing in order to keep the conversation going, "but what is here that you would possibly want enough to walk directly into our midst?" Arturo scoffed and Amelia merely smirked before she answered the man.

"Now now, Shinigami. You and I both know that the wealth of artifacts and magic weapons and tomes in your vault are plenty for us to seek. What a silly question."

"Enough," Arturo finally said, annoyed, "This is pointless chatter. He's obviously trying to distract us, probably so that some reinforcements can get here. Tell us, where did you hide the vampire's body, Shinigami?" Lord Death was taken aback by this statement, but retained his calm demeanor.

_"So. That's what they're after. Byt what would they want with Erik"_ he thought, but he was afraid that he may have already guessed at the answer.

"Not going to talk? Fine then. Amelia!" he said impatiently, and Amelia transformed. Without missing a beat he swung the the chakram around, sending it spinning at his opponent. As was expected, the Shinigami blocked the attack, letting the weapon spin around the staff of his scythe. Arturo had been expecting this, and smiled menacingly.

"Gotcha!" he said before holding his free hand out. A black magic circle appeared on his palm, "Forced Transformation!" At this, the circle shot from his hand like a bullet. Lord Death tried but couldn't move his scythe out of the path of the spell. The magic circle struck the scythe blade and Soul let out an agonized cry before he was forced back into his human form, the cord attached to the chakram now wrapped tightly around his left leg.

"Amelia, now!" Arturo cried triumphantly, and Amelia quickly returned to her human form, save for a row of blades along her left arm, which was now held to the Weapons throat. Slowly, she backed away from the Shinigami, who watched in sheer disbelief. Luckily, no blood had been spilt...yet.

"Very good," Arturo said, smiling even wider as he felt the full effect of complete control, "Now, _Lord_ Death, here's how this is going to go down: you tell me where the body is...or Amelia cuts his throat."

"Don't do it, Kid!" cried Soul, going silent when Amelia shushed him and dug the blades a little deeper into the man's throat. Kid was silent, wondering where in the hell Liz was, before he made a slow and deliberate gesture with one hand. Arturo smiled and muttered, "I knew it," as the mirror behind Lord Death shifted and churned, showing the image Liz had been gazing at mere minutes before.

"Good. Now release him."

"I can't do that."

"Oh no?" asked Arturo, and Soul let out a small strangled noise of pain.

"The power of this mirror ensures that I can put something dangerous, in this case _him_, inside it, but I can't take it out. His only escape will come from his own power.

"Then how do I get him out? You are trying my patience, Shinigami," Arturo asked angrily. Lord Death said nothing, but his eyes darted skyward for a moment. Arturo noticed this and gazed up, his eyes coming to rest on the crystal above them.

"Ah. So that is his soul then?" Arturo said, and Lord Death ground his teeth. The Wizard smiled and started to raise both hands, but hesitated at first.

"Now, I realize that this will make me vulnerable. Just remember that, if you so much as raise a finger against me, your friend there dies," he said, raising his arms now. Then, he began to speak. Another black magic circle appeared around him as he did so.

"I am the Harvester of Souls. The Ferryman. The True Reaper."

The ring began to spin.

"I control the life force of the fading. Death Magic, Decay!" Atruro cried, and Lord Death watched silently as a thick black smog poured from his hands, surrounding the crystal. From within the smoke fell small pieces of purple crystal, until it finally burst, the smoke dissipating to show the crystal pieces fly in every direction and clatter to the floor. The soul that was left behind looked like any other soul, but it was a dark purple color, with small wings on either side. It's power, the Dark Wavelength, spread through the room like a wildfire.

_Meanwhile..._

Sarah, Altezio, Karin and Liz all ran for the Death Room. They saw Maka ahead of them, reading a book against a wall and obviously waiting for Soul. She looked up to them and knew something was wrong at once. She and Sarah shared a look for a moment and that was all that was needed for the girl to dart off ahead of them, book left abandoned behind her. They turned a corner and saw the Death Room just ahead. They were almost there when Maka stopped, holding an arm up to halt the others. Her eyes were wide.

"What's wrong, Maka?" asked Sarah seriously. She could see the girl's hand was shaking.

"You don't hear it?" she asked quietly. Sarah honestly hadn't, but she quickly closed her eyes and listened, trying to hear what her cousin had been hearing.

[_The sound of a lone saxophonist barely audible over the sound of a roaring inferno._]

_"Oooooooooh...look's like someone has come back to play!"_ said Kikame within Sarah's mind. Sarah was silent for a moment, feeling the severity of the situation sink in, before turning to the children behind her.

"Altezio. Karin. Stay back. No...don't just stay back. Get out of here. Go home."

"But..." Altezio started, but Maka merely glared at him.

"Just go. We'll be fine. Liz?" Maka said before turning to the Death Weapon, who understood completely and tranformed into her pistol form, Maka catching her with ease before flashing her son a small smile. Begrudgingly, the two ran off down the hallway, and the Three Star Meister stepped through the door.

_Back in the Death Room_

It didn't take long at all for the soul to react. One moment it was floating serenely in it's place, and the next it was gone, flying in a blur toward the mirror, something that Lord Death only saw clearly. It hit the mirror and melded into it as if there was no barrier there at all, and it collided with the boy in the darkness with enough force to send him swinging back a little against his chains. He stirred a moment before his blood-red eyes shot open.

-He awoke completely and utterly confused. The last thing he remembered was training under his so called "Master": Dracula, Count of Transylvania. Anything after that was a complete blank, save for what was happening at that very moment. As a matter of fact, he even seemed to be missing events before his training. But, he remembered Lilith, and he remembered his name. He supposed he could be grateful for the latter.

_"Where am I?"_ he thought, trying to move his arm to scratch his head only to find that he was being restrained by black chains. He could feel a power within them, powerful and strangely familiar. As a matter of fact, he could feel this power all around him. He didn't like that: the feeling of being surrounded by a familiar power, and bound in chains, made him feel trapped. Then again that _was_ the whole point. He then decided to test his Soul Wavelength, which he had assumed must have been dormant for some time, and forced his own power into the chains. There was some resistance, but not too much. The thick metal links began to glow with a golden brilliance before they shattered, dropping him to his knees on what appeared to be an invisible floor. Looking up, he saw what appeared to be a window, showing him a man with black hair looking at him with worry, and behind him was another man, with a dark aura around him and jet black eyes. Erik stepped up to the window lightly and looked at the former.

"Erik," Lord Death said quietly.

"How do you know my name? Who are you?" Erik asked, surprising Lord Death to the point that he actually stood there slack jawed for a moment.

"My...name is Death the Kid, headmaster of the DWMA. Don't you remember who I am?" he asked, regaining his composure. Erik looked him up and down before shrugging.

"Sorry, but I don't think we've ever met. But really where am I?" Erik said, putting his hand up only to find that it was pressing against something solid, almost like cellophane by the way it moved slightly to his touch. Slowly, Lord Death began to answer the question.

"You are inside a mirror. You are there for the safety of everyone at the Academy."

"He captured you, vampire! Do not be fooled this is your enemy!" Arturo cried from behind him. Erik looked up at this strange man beffore returning his fiery gaze to Lord Death.

"Is this true, Death God?" Erik asked seriously. Lord Death merely sighed in defeat.

"Yes. It is true that we captured you. But only to protect the others. I am _not_ your enemy!" Lord Death replied. Erik was silent, the look on his face almost accusatory. After a few moments, Erik seemd to decide what he was going to do, and put his hand up on the "glass."

"I'm coming out," he said with some finality, "you might want to get out of the way." Pouring energy into his left hand, Erik smiled at the famliar feeling of the power of his signature move.

"Soul Ripper," he said calmly, his wavelength pushing out from his fingertips into the mirrors surface. He felt the energy there, binding the world he was in with the one outside. He pushed, feeling the resistance of the barrier weaken, until finally his fingers pushed through. Then his hands, then his whole arm. Lord Death had indeed backed away from the mirror, and his face was one of total calm except for the desperation in his eyes. Arturo merely smiled evilly and watched. No one had expected the fearful voice of Maka to ring out through the room.

"Soul!" she cried, making everyone (Erik excluded, who was preoccupied) turn their heads in shock toward the blonde. Soul took his chance at his aggressors momentary distraction and transformed back to his scythe form. Amelia, taken by surprise, lost her grip on his now much thinner form. Soul followed through and retransformed, getting behind the stunned woman and holding his own blade arm over her throat. The tables had turned, but unfortunately it was too late. Erik was just pulling himself the rest of the way out of the mirror when he noticed the others in the room. He had a pained look on his face for a moment as the feeling of thousands of souls nearby poured through him. However, this didn't stop him from speaking to Arturo.

"Tell me. Why did you come here? What good am I to you, Wizard?"

"How did you..." Arturo began, aghast that the boy knew so easily what he was, "Nevermind. Amelia and I have come at our Lady's command to retrieve the ast vampire, so that she may have an audience with you. That is all."

"That's all you wished of me?" asked Erik, raising an eyebrow as he tried to find any tells in the mans face: any lies he could uncover. Either this man was telling the truth...or he played a lot of poker.

"This is all we have been tasked with," Amelia answered calmly, despite her now life threatening condition. Arturo, finally noticing that the situation was quickly leaving his control, spoke directly afterward.

"It seems our welcome has run dry. Release her, Death Scythe, and we will haunt these halls no longer."

"Fat chance!" Soul cried back, tightening his grip, "We've got you cornered now! You won't be getting away." Unfortunately, what the white haired Weapon had failed notice was the slight breeze that had wafted in and become a small whirlwind behind him.

"Twisting Strike!" came the voice from beside him, and he was too late to even begin trying to dodge the blow from the man that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. The attack hit him in the side, and a great gust of wind followed it, blowing him away. His scythe blade cut cleanly across Amelia's throat. Blood splattered to the floor as the girl choked for a moment before falling to her knees and collapsing to the floor.

"Amelia!" Arturo criedl and Sarah took this as her chance to strike, summoning her bone white scythe and charging, leaping high into the air in order to split the distracted Wizard in two. Instead, her blade was stopped short, now held in one of Eriks hands. She stayed airborn for a moment, pressing against him before landing on the floor lightly. His eyes seemed to burn through her.

"No. No more blood will be spilt today, Meister," he said, his tone colored ever so slightly with menace. Meanwhile, Arturo had made his way to his Weapon's side and lifted her off the ground, out of the pool of her own blood. He seemed quite calm, despite the fact that his partner was dead. Cyclone stepped up next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, his monotone voice the only sound in the room now.

"Find us at Darkholme, vampire. We will be waiting," he said, and Erik merely nodded. At that, there was a fierce whirlwind and the three mages were gone.

"What's your deal, Erik!" asked Sarah when he released her scythe. She let it fade away and looked at him angrily. He said nothing and began to walk toward the hole in the wall, but she stepped in front of him.

"Why would you let them escape? Aren't we your friends?" she asked, a look of confusion and hurt taking form on her face. Erik merely stared at her with a small frown.

"If we were indeed friends once, I don't remember it. Either way, those people helped to free me, so I at least owe them this small favor," Erik replied, passing her. When he got to the hole, he took a long sniff, savoring the smell of the night air, and spoke.

"Dark Wavelength, Gather," he said, and a rush of energy formed into two pitch black bird wings on his back. He prepared to jump, but was again stopped by yet another female voice.

"Erik...don't go..." He turned to see Liz, standing teary eyed behind him. Sarah was nearby, almost as if ready to hold her back should she try anything rash. He didn't know why he felt bad out his departure, but for some reason he found himself speaking the words "I'm sorry," before letting himself fall and disappearing into the night, Sarah keeping Liz from trying to chase after him.

**Merry Belated Christmas from me to you! I wanted to get this chapter posted earlier but things (DnD) happened and I was distracted. I hope you all are enjoying it so far, and the kitteh's enjoyed the help you gave them via reviews. You know, they really would like to have another contribution, so keep those reviews coming! ^.^**


	8. Black Star's Journey! The Gunman?

Black Star burst into the old-west style saloon, the swinging doors nearly flying off their hinges as he strode through them. The patrons, dressed in modern civilian clothes that offset the western feel of the place, stared at the man with a mix of shock and confusion. Behind the ninja walked Tsubaki, timidly offering apologies and bowing as she passed people.

"_Even after so many years, he still can't make a quiet entrance..."_ she thought, looking him over as he recklessly strode forward, his aim the bar. The years had definitely treated him well. His skin was the same tannish color it had always been, but he wore his hair longer, so that the star-like look of it drooped a bit, covering his eyes just barely. He wasn't wearing a shirt at present, showing off his toned muscles. The skin was marred with scars from various sources, and Tsubaki knew that, if she was ever asked (not likely), she would be able to recount every battle they came from. He also wore a tan pair of cargo pants and a pair of steel tipped boots, the steel tips on the outside and shaped like stars.

_"But it's not like he's the only one who's changed,"_ she found herself thinking as she examined herself mentally. She still wore her hair up in a pony tail and, because of her power as a Death Scythe she didn't look a day over twenty-five. She, like Black Star, was dressed in a light garb: a tank top and vest, loose fitting pants, and boots, similar to Black Stars but without the steel tips. However, despite her still being somewhat timid, she seemed to have hardened somewhat. Not so much as to make her seem unapproachable, but more to make her seem deteremined, though whether this determination stemmed from her desire to be victorious or her desire to keep Black Star safe was up for debate.

"And what brings you to Rejection, stranger?" the bartender asked, pulling Tsubaki from her thoughts as they approached the bar. His voice was heavy with a southern accent, but he seemed pleasant enough.

"I'm looking for someone," Black Star answered, his voice a rich and confident tenor that fate had given him with age. The bartender, meanwhile, finished cleaning the glass in his hands (it only took a second) before replying.

"Well, good luck. Ya know there's a reason this town's called Rejection. Matter of fact, I was thinkin' about takin' a trip up there myself," he trailed off a little while he looked at the glass again, seeing if he had missed anything. After that brief moment, he looked back up at the man before him, "So, who you lookin' for?"

"I'm looking for a man who goes by the title of The Gunman. Josiah Clinton is his name," Black Star replied, and the bartender gawked at him for a moment. However, he wasn't able to reply as the sound of a glass hitting the counter brought the attention of both men to a man sitting at the bar, empty glass in his hand. The man wore a plain red button up shirt, tucked into a pair of workers jeans. On his feet was a pair of snake skin cowboy boots, complete with a set of silver spurs. On his head he wore a brown cowboy hat, the leather worn and faded with age, and at his side was a holstered revolver, though the calibur of the weapon was questionable.

"And what is it that you would want with me, kid?" the man asked, his tone somewhat gruff but his words strangely eloquent. Black Star smiled, a small little thing that showed very obvious confidence.

"I'm here to challenge you. I've fought people all over the country, and they all say you're the best. I'm here to prove them wrong," then, putting a leg up on the stool before him and lifting a finger to the sky, "I am the great and mighty Black Star! The world has never seen a man as great as me, the one who surpassed god!" The whole bar was silent a moment before the man, Josiah, chuckled a bit, standing as he did so.

"Kid. You really don't know what kind of trouble you're getting into. I'll let it go this time, so why don't you just run along someplace else, okay?" he said, and then he was gone, heading for and stepping out of the still barely swinging doors. Black Star, not one to be ignored, rushed after him, with Tsubaki once again apologizing for her Meister on the way out. Before she reached the door she heard the words, "What are you, a scaredy cat?" And with that, she stepped out behind her headstrong partner.

Outside, one could easily tell that the saloon was out of place. Rejection, while a small community consisting of only a small strip of road and some residences, was fully modernized. The roads and sidewalk upon which Black Star was now staring down Josiah, were paved. Up the road a little bit one would come across a streetlight, blinking red as it would for years and years to come, and along the road were a few businesses, a small cafe, and a paper processing plant. Being in one of the dryer areas of Texas, Tsubaki wasn't surprised that, unlike the air-conditioned saloon, it was hot out.

"I really wish you would reconsider, kid. I've never lost a fight and I'm not going to start with you. It would be more beneficial to both of us if you just dropped it and got on with your life," Josiah said, almost pleadingly, but Black Star was adamant.

"Nope. I've searched all over this state for you, and come up with nothing too many times to back down now. I challenge you, Gunman. Scared yet? You will be." At this, the gun at Josiah's side flashed with bright white light before becoming a young woman with red hair and freckles on her annoyed looking face. She wore only a bandanna for a shirt, barely keeping her covered, and she wore tight fitting pants. The only thing she seemed to have in common with the man next to her was the cowboy hat and boots she wore, and even then they seemed somehow different.

"This kid never stops running his mouth!" she exclaimed, looking at Black Star with dark brown eyes, "Hey kid! My name is Kimberly Summers! A.K.A., Six Shot Kim! If you think you can take us then you're crazy, so why don't you just run home to mommy before you get hurt, 'kay?" Black Star, unfazed by the woman's words, merely shrugged and closed his eyes, confident smirk ever present.

"Whatever you call yourself won't help you. I've fought and beaten girls who were both prettier and stronger than you are. Besides, even the greatest of the greats can't compete with all my greatness, so why bother even telling me your name? I guess a small person like you wouldn't understand." At this, the girl gave a look of pure fury before her arm transformed into a six barrel gatling gun. However, before she could raise the weapon and fire, her Meister had his hand on her shoulder. With a look of anger and dismay, her arm turned back.

"Fine. If you are so ready for death, then I will fight you. But not here."

"That's cool with me. It doesn't really matter where we fight anyway, I'm still going to win," Black Star retorted, Tsubaki facepalming behind him.

"Right. Anyway, meet us at the Duelist's Grave in an hour. It's a small area just south of here. It's a fitting place for your defeat, I think," Josiah said, and with that, he and his Weapon were walking away, Black Star smiling after them while Tsubaki tried to shake the dark feeling she got at the man's words.

_Duelist's Grave...a fitting place for your defeat._

**There we are. Much better. The original version of this chapter involved a pirate, but it got really dumb. Either way I might put that in somewhere. I hope I'm not throwing anyone off too badly. Anyway, as aloways read and review. Thank you!**


	9. Next Mission! A Shaky Truce?

Shibusen is was in an uproar. Or at least it would have been, had Lord Death not quickly put a lid on the entire incident. The whole in the wall was repaired before the night was over, and the students and teachers who didn't know what was going one were told that nothing had happened at all. The cover story was that Lord Death had been training with Soul when things got slightly out of hand. Most of the teachers and students bought it, but Altezio and Karin knew better, especially when the young meister noticed the missing crystal the next day, when he, his partner and Ixion were called into the Death Room the next day.

"I've called the five of you in here," Death began, pacing slowly back and forth before them. Karin took a quick dismayed glacnce at the Weapon Meister pair next to her, she and Altezio's so called "rivals" Alex and Luzo, "Because it's time that you took on a two-star mission. Now, I realize that you probably think that accomplishing a mission like this will be simple, but I assure you that, at your level, it will be a true test of your strength, and alone you would surely find your demise."

"I'm your number one Meister, Lord Death," said Alex boastfully, "just let me and Luzo take care of this one. Leave the kiddies here."

"Oh, cram it Mr. High-And-Mighty, before we whoop your ass for the second time this week, right Tez?" Karin yelled, glaring at Alex before looking to her Meister. Altezio, however, was in his own world, looking passively up to the ceiling where the crystal, he noticed, was no longer suspended. After a moment, he reacted to his Weapon.

"Huh...oh yeah sure," he said, shaking his head and turning his emerald gaze to her, a small smirk on his face. Then, he turned his head to Lord Death, and he couldn't help but let the next words fall from his lips.

"So, Lord Death. What happened to the crystal that used to be in here?"

"Oh that?" Lord Death answered, looking up for a moment before continuing, "I had it moved."

"Because of the stuff that went down last night?" asked Karin, suddenly very much interested in the conversation. She recieved questioning glances from the other three people, especially Ixion.

"As a matter of fact, yes. The training between Soul and I last night was a lot more fierce than we expected. In order to keep the crystal from being damaged, we moved it. Coincidentally that is also why Soul isn't here today." At this, the other three seemed to ease up, but both Altezio and Karin continued to look at the Grim Reaper. After a few moments, Lord Death continued.

"As I was saying before, the five of you are to go on a mission in the forests of North America, near Canada, in search of a pre-Kishin coming dangerously close to becoming a full Kishin. He's killed more than one hundred innocents in the short time we've known about him."

The rest of the briefing went uneventfully. Lord Death told the five exactly where they were to go and to be there no later than the next day. As they left the Death Room the five went their seperate ways, with Alex and Luzo going to "get ready" while Tez, Karin and Ixion started on the long walk back to their apartment. The three were silent until they hit the stairs outside of Shibusen, and that was when Karin began to rant.

"Fuckin' god can you believe Alex? 'I'm your number one, Lord Death.' What a kiss-ass."

"Well," Ixion started, running his hands through his hair. It made an electric crackling before he left his hands at the back of his head, "can you blame the dude? No offense but his little brother's Weapon form is actually bigger than he is, and he hefts that thing around like it ain't no thing. He's a regular Cloud Strife."

"Wow Ix," began Karin, smirking now, "if I hadn't known any better I'd say you had a man-crush."

"Whoa now, take it easy. I totally agree with you, the guy's a total asshole but you have to admit, he's got to have at least some talent," Ixion interjected, his own smirk coming out. They continued on like this for most of the walk, bickering back and forth while Altezio listened, though only half-heartedly. His mind was occupied instead with what Lord Death had said before.

_"Dad has told me all sorts of stories about the special training he and mom have done in the Death Room...but he's never said anything about the crystal being in any sort of danger...it must have been a lie, but why?"_

"Tez?" Karin asked tentatively, but she got no response.

_"They told me that the soul inside that crystal was Erik Altezio, and that he was a very powerful Meister. That would easily make it a target...but what good would a soul like that one do. It's not like he was a wizard or anything..."_ Altezio continued, only to be stopped when something struck him in the back of the head, knocking his hood down.

"Ow! Hey what gives?"

"You were spacing on us," Karin answered simply, "Something on your mind?"

"Just thinking about that crystal...something is up," Altezio answered truthfully, knowing full well that Karin would see through any attempt to cover it up. Fortunately for him, it seemed that his two companions either weren't worried about or didn't care too much about the situation.

"Eh, I'm sure it's nothing," Ixion said.

"Yeah...you're probably right..."

_Meanwhile..._

Maka put her head in her hands and sighed. She was tired, and she was worried. Erik's release was something that she hadn't expected would ever happen. And that Shibusen could have been infiltrated after so many years of peace was...unimaginable. The woman rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times before going back over the book in front of her, an old tome she had hoped would give her some sort of lead on a place called "Darkholme." Unfortunately, her research was coming up dry.

"Knock knock," came the voice of her husband behind her, and she couldn't help but let a smile come to her lips. If he was coming to her office to get her, chances were it was later than she thought it was. She turned to face him as he walked in, noticing the hand resting at his side.

"It's three thirty in the morning. We should get you home and in bed," he said, picking up the book she was reading and closing it after a moment of disinterest. She went to disagree with him but yawned instead. Soul smiled at this and took her hands, pulling her up into his arms. She went willingly, her legs suddenly tingling with protest: they had been asleep after sitting so long. As they left the room she flipped the light switch, leaving the room in total darkness.

"So, did you find anything?" Soul asked as they walked, his hand snaking into hers and fitting perfectly. She merely shook her head at his question.

"That's all right. We'll find them," Soul said after a moment of silence. Maka agreed and stepped forward, opening a door that would lead them to the outside. The night air was cold, and in her drowsy state Maka felt uneasy. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she felt the presence of a powerful soul somewhere in the world. A soul that she hadn't felt in a very long time.

**I'm back. Sorry finals happened and other stuff also happened so I'm a little off my game again. I'll be posting as frequently as I can. I hope you enjoyed and please, R&R even if it's horrible!**


	10. Darkholme! A Home for Outcasts?

Erik landed with a soft 'whump' sound, his wings falling back and fading into the duster he wore: black, shoulders cut along the seams, left arm missing. He wasn't sure how his apparel did that, but he also didn't really care. It was probably just the Dark Wavelength. He now found himself in a small forested glade, near the moutains.

"I wonder where they went...the Dark Perception let me follow them to around here, but they faded out a while ago...been flying for a whole night and day to find them, too," he complained to nobody in particular. To his surprise, someone answered.

_"Poor child. I thought I taught you better than that,"_ the dark voice said, and Erik sneered. He would know the voice of his "Master" anywhere, memories missing or not. Closing his eyes, he brought himself to the Inner Sanctum.

_Inner Sanctum_

Erik stepped out of the darkness and into the pale violet light of his own soul. Dracula was already waiting, back turned to him, hair greased back and wearing a solid black suit with a blood red shirt. After lighting a cigarette, the man turned to Erik, taking a drag and releasing the smoke with a sound of almost blissful satisfaction.

"You know, being reduced to your own Wavelength can be something of a boon when you think about it. I don't have to worry about eating, though to be fair I didn't have to do that anyway. That, and whatever I want is in my grasp. All I have to do is...think it," he said, smiling his knwing smile and looking Erik in the eye with his dark red eyes.

"What are you doing here? If I recall correctly you died. Killed by that Shinigami in Death City."

"Recall, do you? Funny that you recall much at all, really. With most of your memories...sadly forgotten," Dracula replied, and Erik glared. How could he know about the missing patches in his memory?

"Aha...knocked into stunned silence, hm? Very well, I'll answer the question on your mind: yes, I do know about the missing portion of your memories. And no, I don't know how it happened. What I do know is that, over time, I'm sure I can help you recover them."

"For?" asked Erik, knowing that the Count wouldn't simply do it out of the goodness of his heart. Hell, Erik wasn't even sure he had a heart to begin with. At his words, the vampire laughed a dark, chilling laugh.

"You know me so well," he said with faux fondness, holding a hand over his chest, "of course you know my...eheh...services won't come cheaply."

"You know, I've repaired my soul before. I remember that. Why not just purge you now and do it myself?"

"Because you don't have the time. Or a choice, really. Besides, all I ask is residence in your soul. Not too taxing, right? But I believe I will have to wait for your answer, as we aren't alone anymore. Tootles," Dracula answered, and Erik felt himself eject from his soul...his _own_ soul no less.

_Back in the forest_

Erik found that he had continued walking while he had his little discussion with Count Dracula. He was now standing amidst many trees, the stone face of the mountain breaking only for a rocky path leading up and into the mountains: a pass. Directly in front of him stood the man that had helped to free him.

"Hello, vampire. It took you long enough to get here," he said, sneering as Erik walked up to him.

"Yeah? Well, I'm only here because I owe you one. Now, where's this 'Darkholme'?" Erik asked, and was answered by the man gesturing back and up. Looking, Erik saw that there was a huge mansion sitting high on the mountain, seeming to balance just barely on a large precipice.

"I'm here to introduce you to the others and to Lady Minake, so you'll be sure to watch your manners while inside, correct?" asked Arturo as they began to walk, making their way up the moutain pass quickly.

"Yeah, yeah," replied Erik, putting his hands in his pockets. The rest of the trek was silent, neither having anything to say to the other. When they finally reached the doors: large and made of a well tarnished, dark wood. Arturo reached forward and pulled the door, leading Erik inside.

The foyer was large and about what you would expect of a mansion: a large marble staircase leading to an upper floor, a wide open area, a crystal chandelier for lighting, and a few exstravagent tables, one of which seated three people: a girl in a light blue witches hat, Cyclone, whom he recognized from Shibusen, and Amelia. It was this last one that caught his attention. He was sure he had watched her die...hadn't he?

"Welcome to Darkholme, vampire. Lady Minake should be making an appearance shortly, so make yourself comfortable until then," Arturo said before making his way to sit next to Amelia. Meanwhile, the girl in the blue had bounced over to him.

Getting a better look at him, he was able to take in more detail about her appearance. The hat was well kempt with two dark blue rings around the top, the rim being of the same color and material. Two rings hung from the rim as well, one silver and one gold. Lastly, the hat had a teardrop on the front with VI, the Roman Numeral for six, in the middle of it. She also wore a blue button up, the top few undone, that was tight fitting enough to show off what little bust she had, and over that she wore a similarily tight fitting vest the same dark blue as the rim of her hat, with a clasp in the shape of a teardrop. Her shirt was untucked and hung just over her dark blue frilled skirt. She wore no shoes. Her hair, or at least what Erik could see of it, was short and black, hanging down just back her cheeks, just out of her face. Her eyes were a watery blue, and they were, or at least trying to be, seductive. A coy smile played on her lips. Lastly, she wore a pair of crystalline bangles on her back, and on her back was a staff, with a large sapphire gem on the head.

"Hi, my name is Kylee Waters!" she said, her voice light and bubbly, echoing through the mostly empty foyer.

"Erik Altezio," the vampire muttered, taking the hand she extended and feeling awkward as she gave it an extra little squeeze that he had to admit wasn't necessary. From what he could see of her soul wavelength, she was a witch. She turned to Arturo then and laughed.

"You didn't tell me he was so cute!" she whined almost childishly, "I would've volunteered had I known!"

"Don't whine, my dearest daughter," came a refined voice from above, and everyone looked up to see a woman, barely middle aged by appearance, began to make her way down the stairs. She wore a white and gold dress with many folds and frills. The shadows on them were accentuated by the color. Her hair was long and blonde, and her eyes were a pale violet. Erik watched as Cyclone disappeared from his seat and was immediately next to the woman, holding a hand out to help her down the stairs. At the bottom, she approached Erik and Kylee, who pressed herself close to the man.

"I'll talk to you later handsome," she said, before skipping away, through a door next to the stairs. Erik couldn't help but feel awkward.

"Don't mind her," the woman said, now standing before the vampire, "she's at that age, you know. Anyway, I am Minake, but my children call me Lady Minake. I don't mind: it makes me feel important."

"You are important, milady," said Cyclone, still by her side.

"Right. Well, you know who I am. And you know what I am. What do you want with me?" asked Erik, folding his arms as he released his wavelength, letting it begin to spread through the building.

"Well, we're all outcasts, aren't we?" Minake began. She looked him in the eye and, for the life of him, he couldn't see any dishonesty in her eyes. "You're the last of your kind. Plus, I feel I owe you for what Lilith did to you." At this, Erik ground his teeth. _That_ he remembered just fine.

"And, of course, you have your uses," she finished, smirking. Deep in his soul, Erik heard Dracula chuckle.

_"Called it."_

**Yup. Took forever, and I'm sorry. But it's coming along, slowly but steadily. Be sure to R&R preese.**


	11. Spirit's Story 2! Cry of the Banshee?

Spirit walked somewhat unsteadily through the Irish countryside. It had only been a few days since he had left O'Harasburg, and he was somewhat, though not quite, sobered up. He remembered the bar brawl, and the threat. That was it. He had indeed made himself scarce, and walked with his hands in his pockets. Up ahead was a sign, the letters faded but still readable as "Welcome to Annaghil."

"Another village...another bar," he muttered, holding his forehead as the light from the sun came out from the cloud cover, assaulting his eyes. The sun was gone a moment later, disappearing behind much darker cloud cover than a moment ago. A short flash of light and thunder heralded a slow, warm rain that both relieved the heat and coaxed Spirit to pick up the pace, if only slightly.

"Just my luck," he said, looking up the road to see something he hadn't been expecting: a man, older than fifty by the look of him, running from the now slightly visible village. He looked terrified, and just as Spirit was about to ask him what was going on, a pale woman in a white dress appeared as if out of nowhere, eyes red and burning with hatred. She bore down on the man, causing him to fall and, as he turned and tried to back away from her, Spirit heard a high pitched screaming.

"Gaaaah," he moaned, his head throbbing all the more from his hangover, and he squinted up to see the man becoming more and more still as the screaming intensified, until finally a bright blue soul lifted from his body, only to be devoured by the woman, her hand a bloody claw. It only took a small bit of reasoning for Spirit to see what was going on.

"Hey!" he cried, arm turning into a black scythe blade as he awkwardly charged the creature before him. She turned, her eyes burning, and screamed again, and Spirit all at once felt his mind go numb. He staggered, sinking to his knees, and he felt a tugging in his chest...like something was being pulled from him. Within moments she was upon him, and he saw the horror that she truly was: face pale and gaunt, eyes points of red flame. Her mouth was hanging open wider than should be allowed as she screamed, the inside of her mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. Her dress was tattered and ripped in places, and she was somewhat transparent. It was this last quality that allowed Spirit to see what was on the other side of her: an old man wearing a yellow rain jacket and hat and brandishing a crude metal blade and...a shaker of salt?

"Back off this one, foul demon!" the old man said, voice strong as he stepped up to her back, sprinkling salt on her, causing her to recoil in pain as it smoked on her flesh. He followed up with a slash to the back with his blade, and she disappeared, releasing Spirit from the grip she had upon him. As his arm transformed back to its normal form, Spirit fell forward into the now muddy dirt road, catching himself on his hands.

"Are you alright, lad?" the old man asked, depositing the salt shaker into a pocket and extending a hand. Spirit took it glady, getting back to his feet. His clothes were now completely covered in mud.

"C'mon. I'll take you to my home. It's dangerous around these parts nowadays," the old man said, and Spirit didn't have time to answer before he was quickly whisked away, toward Annaghil.

_Later_

Spirit stepped from the humble bathroom of the man that saved him, dressed in a borrowed shirt and pants, drying his hair from the shower he had just taken. It had been weeks, and he couldn't help but feel completely refreshed. He had even shaved, and for the first time in years he felt like himself again.

After walking through a short hallway, he found himself in a small living room consisting of a few chairs, a small rug, a lit fireplace, and a deers head hung above the mantle. In one of the chairs sat the old man, dressed in a pair of overalls and a button up shirt. He wore a pair of glasses that had a crack in the left lens, and his grey hair was tied in a short ponytail. He looked up at spirit with eyes slightly clouded with cataracts.

"From the look of you," he started, lighting a pipe and taking a puff, "I'd say that shower did you worlds of good."

"Yeah," Spirit said, sitting in the chair across from his host. Between them was a small coffee table, with two mugs of tea steaming on top of it. Assuming one was for him, Spirit took one and took a sip. The old man did the same.

"So...my name is..." Spirit started, but the old man stopped him before he could continue.

"I know who you are, Spirit Albarn. I also know what you are. She told me quite a bit about you, actually."

"She?" asked Spirit, confused. The man shook his head as if he hadn't heard him.

"It doesn't matter right now. Only one thing should matter to you right now: the scourge that plagues Annaghil. The Banshee."

"You mean that woman?"

"Aye. She was a woman once...but tragedy in her life led to revenge, revenge led to insanity...and as a Death Scythe you know what that means."

"She's a Pre-Kishin..." Spirit said quietly. It had been quite a long time since he had gotten into an actual fight with one...he wasn't sure if he would be able to take her.

"Aye...and a special one at that. Though you are a Death Scythe, your blade won't cut her. You will need something more..."

"What, like a shaker of salt?" Spirit asked sarcastically, not liking the way this old man was doubting his power. At his words, the old man merely laughed.

"That is a minor weakness, yes. But not what you need. You will need a blade of cold-iron to cut her flesh. Luckily, I can help you with that."

"Listen, old man. I appreciate the offer but I can't fight like you can: I need my scythe form," Spirit said, and the man only looked at him with a smirk.

"Aye lad, that is something I already know as well. But, as I was saying, I can help you," he responded before standing, his full height actually somewhat intimidating, "I will fight with you."

"And who are you?" asked Spirit with disbelief. How could this old man help him fight off a Pre-Kishin.

"I am Argath, Senior Soul Researcher of Shibusen and Three Star Meister. I have studied long enough that I know how to change your scythe-blade into the cold-iron we need. Will you accept my assistance?" At the mans words, Spirit's jaw dropped. He had heard of Argath before, and how he was a legend for defeating a group of Pre-Kishin's with a single sword strike. The old man laughed at Spirit's awestruck face.

"I will take that as a yes. Prepare yourself then: we fight when the sun sets over the moors."

_That Evening_

A heavy fog sat upon the empty streets of Annaghil. Argath walked, scythe in hand, along the cobblestones, the butt of the Weapon making a small clacking sound with each impact. Argath no longer wore the overalls he wore before. Now he wore a pair of jeans, held in place by a black leather belt with a plain silver belt. He wore a white collared shirt, over which he wore a brown leather jacket. On his head was a matching brown, broad rimmed hat with buffalo nickels encircling it.

"You sure she's going to be here?" asked Spirit, his form appearing in the blade.

"Oh yes. She never misses an opportunity for fresh souls," he said, and as if on cue, the Banshee appeared in the fog.

"Be ready...failure is not an option," said Argath, tensing as the Banshee loosed its deadly wail.


	12. Invade the Lair 1! A Normal Mission?

Altezio walked slowly but quickly through the woods, becoming more and more paranoid with each broken twig underfoot. He had never really liked places like this, and his discomfort was only heightened by the fact that, somewhere, a Pre-Kishin was waiting in ambush. In his arms was his Weapon partner in guitar form; his only means of protection. Despite the strength the two of them boasted, he was not all that confident. Ixion, on the other hand, was perfectly at ease, and doing nothing to keep himself hidden.

"Yeah, I figure this should be nice and easy. I've been practicing like a madman and I've definitely gotten like, twenty times more powerful. How about you guys?" he asked, hands behind his head. Karin appeared on the face of the guitar, a look of impatience on her face.

"Yeah, we know you've been practicing. And we're fine. Now shut up dummy or you're going to lead…whatever this guy's name is right to us."

"Oh, it's too late for that," said Alex, stepping up from behind them. For all the animosity he showed before, he really seemed serious about the mission. Luso, in Zweihander form, seemed to rest weightlessly upon his shoulders.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ixion, "There's no one here!"

"No, he's right, Ix," said Altezio, his first words the entire time they'd been there, "I can feel it. A presence out there, and all around us, and shadows moving here and there just out of our reach. He knows that we're here. And he knows why." As if on cue, a dark laugh pierced through the words, not entirely human. Alex lowered his blade and held it ready while Altezio pulled his pick from behind his ear.

_"Little boys and girls, here to play a game?"_ came the voice, so faint that Altezio wasn't even sure he had actually heard it. But it was there, just like his own breathing, if he really listened. He focused, letting what little Soul Perception he had go to work searching. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for.

"There!" he cried, strumming the guitar strings and directing the attack past a small grouping of trees. A man, or what Altezio assumed at least used to be a man, jumped up from the cover and caught himself on a nearby tree branch. He was pasty white and had little to no hair on his head. His torso was exposed and seemed to be covered in pink scars. His eyes were tiny black beads, and blood covered the bottom part of his face. His hands were actually three toed, razor sharp claws also covered in blood. He seemed to be smiling.

_"Animals sustain the body, little boys and girls. But I hunger for more. Master Terra has been gone for so long…little boys and girls. Betrayed by her own brethren…" _the thing said, dropping from the tree and landing in a slouch before them. Altezio tensed as the horrific thing looked up at him.

_"Souls….little boys and girls. Souls are what I need. Can I have yours? We can play a game...little boys and girls," _it said, and with a sudden jerking motion, it darted forward, aiming for the only seemingly unarmed person of the group. He yelped in surprise before lifting a hand and letting off a small blast of lightning – Spell 058, the Lightning Blast. The man didn't expect such an attack and was launched back. When he was standing again, he had a look of total fear on his face.

_"Ten…ten ten ten…Master Terra spoke of ten!"_ he said, before going into hysterics, rushing the group again. This time Altezio countered, unclipping his guitar from its neckstrap and swinging it like a baseball bat. A loud crunch was heard before the man was sent sprawling. With odds so obviously against him, the man did what was only natural; he ran. Leaping high, he began to swing himself along the branches like a monkey.

"Get back here!" called Alex, stomping off after him. Altezio raised a hand to stop him but could do nothing. Meanwhile, Karin turned back to her normal form, a dumbfounded look on her face.

"Was…was that the so called 'powerful Pre-Kishin' we were supposed to have trouble with? That thing was…pathetic."

"Well yeah, but remember it said something about a 'Master Terra?' Maybe that's the real threat here," said Altezio, but in all honesty he couldn't be sure. Yeah, he had detected that…thing behind the trees, but it wasn't the cause of the moving shadows, or the feeling that he was being watched. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw something appear and disappear, but ignored it.

"Let's go after Alex. Last thing we need is for him to bite off more than he can chew," the boy said, running forward, followed closely by his companions.

_Meanwhile…_

Erik landed softly on one of the larger branches of a nearby tree. It was wide enough for him to lay on without having to worry about falling off, so he did so. Down below he felt the presence of new souls, other than that of the witches living in Darkholme and the creature that lived in the forest. The Rake, Minake had called it. He rested his head on the trunk of the tree, sliding down into a kind of upright laying position, one leg dangling from the branch.  
><em>"It would seem that there are some students from the Academy down there, judging by the strength of their souls. Why not go down and claim them?"<em> Dracula asked in the back of Erik's mind, but he ignored it. He wasn't in the mood for eating any souls today.  
>"Sorry," Erik said, smirking, "I can feel a witches soul down there too, and I'm not feeling like tangling with anyone today.<br>_"But what about your debt to Minake for your freedom? Didn't you agree that you would protect her household from threats?"  
><em>"Yeah, but these kids aren't threats. Hell, I doubt they even know that Darkholme is here. And even if they did, they would be hard pressed to get past the gates before one of her 'children' greets them." Erik retorted, closing his eyes as he tried to relax. He knew it wouldn't happen – being a vampire meant that sleep didn't happen anymore. That, and just the presence of fresh souls was tempting – so tempting in fact that, even though he had learned to hold the hunger back, he couldn't completely control it. Closing his eyes didn't help at all; the darkness only gave way to the pale blue glow of souls nearby. Sometimes, Erik hated the power of Dark Perception.

_Meanwhile…_

Back down below, Altezio and Ixion burst through the vegetation to find Alex holding his weapon up defensively. Despite him leaving them only a few moments ago, he seemed like he had been fighting for hours.  
>"Alex! You all right?" asked Ixion, and the young man looked back at them angrily.<br>"Stay back. He's fast, but I can handle him," the Meister growled, tightening his grip on his blade. Altezio watched as a blur seemed to dart through the swordsman, and blood spilled as he cried out in pain.

"Gah…fucker," he grumbled, holding the blade even tighter. Meanwhile, Altezio watched as the creature appeared again, this time behind Alex.

"Behind you!" the young Meister yelled, but was too late. Even though Alex was quick enough to react before a killing blow, the creature was still there and gone without a trace. Overall, he was just too fast for Alex to handle.

"Do you like my game….little boys and girls?" the creature asked from the shadows, its voice barely more than a whisper. The scent of blood was in the air, though Altezio's senses were a little too dull to catch it.

"Fuck off," yelled Alex, changing his stance to one where he held the Zweihander with the point of the blade pointing backwards. With a painful sigh he closed his eyes.

"Ready, Luso?"

"Let's get this guy, Onii-chan," the little boy said from the blade. Alex heard the rustle of the leaves before Altezio saw where the creature would be coming from next, and before the guitarist could say anything, Alex made his move.

"Round-a-bout Strike!" he cried, taking a single step and pivoting, doing a complete circle with the blade and catching the creature with the tip. Dark blood tainted the edge, and the creature hit the ground, holding the gash now on its chest. Its eyes glowed red with hatred.

"Master…I'm hurt master…little boys and girls hurt me…" it muttered, getting back on its feet. Then, with a guttural scream, the thing was gone, only to reappear directly above Alex, claws reflecting light as it flew at him. But Alex was ready. He knew he had scared it now. But, more importantly, he knew it could bleed. It was alive, just like he was. Now all it came down to was the one who wanted it more. He was determined to be that one. He pulled a hand from his blade and balled it into a fist, forcing all his strength into a punch. It landed on the creature and sent it sprawling to the ground. It lay motionless, but kept muttering incoherently in what sounded like another language. Latin, maybe? Alex scoffed, holding the arm still clutching the blade, stifling the blood trickling down from a small wound on the bicep. Taking slow, methodic steps, Alex towered over the creature, holding his blade in one hand.

"For all that speed and strength, you really are just a pathetic little thing, aren't you?" asked Alex, not really expecting an answer.

"Are we…" began Luso, but trailed off when his older brother began to lift the blade high. The younger sibling knew that, within the next few minutes, they would be ending this one's life. It wasn't the first time they'd killed a Pre-Kishin, but still the young boy wasn't quite used to it. Still, seeing this thing curled up before them, he couldn't help but feel sorry for it. At least, he thought, they would be putting it out of his misery. As the blade came down, however, the two were not answered with a quick cry of pain, but instead the clash of steel on steel.

"What?" Alex exclaimed, awestruck, only to find that his blade was held at bay by a blade much smaller than his own. The man at the other end of the blade had the bottom portion of his face hidden by a long scarf, which had what looked like an insane smile pattern where his mouth would be.

"I am afraid you will not be killing this creature today, Meister," the man said, his tone expressionless and empty. He turned to the cowering creature beneath them, "You. Go and tell Lady Minake that we have visitors." With that, the creature nodded frantically and ran off, disappearing into the brush. Alex noted this and called back to the others.

"Altezio! Ixion! Follow that thing and make sure it doesn't get away!" he called, and Altezio responded quickly, dashing past the two combatants with Ixion on his heels. The black haired man might have moved to stop them, had Alex not kept his attention.

"So," the young Meister started, "what do I get to call you before I take you down?" The man looked at him with dead eyes and answered smoothly.

"I am the Wind Mage Cyclone, and personal steward and bodyguard to my lady, Minake. I am here to deal with any intruders on her property."

"Interesting. You know, the way you talk creeps me out, man. You ready?"

"There is a %75 chance that you will die during this fight. But if it is your choice, then yes, let this fight be done."

**And so to you I leave a cliff hanger. I'm sorry again that it has taken oh so long for me to continue this, but as an English Major I find I have very little time for leisure writing. (1200 words a week, papers, revisions, etc.) However, as always, I will try to speed the process up as much as possible. Thank you for your patience and whatnot, and please feel free to leave a review. Love it? Hate it? Have suggestions or requests? Let me know!**


	13. Invade the Lair 2! Imminent Disaster?

_Altezio_

Altezio and Ixion raced after the creature, ignoring the sounds of battle behind them. They followed for what seemed like miles, always able to find their way by the small trail of blood the thing was leaving behind it. Eventually, they found themselves standing on a path that led up into the nearby mountain.

"Let's keep moving," Altezio said, running up the path. He couldn't see the creature anymore, but he didn't plan on letting that stop him. He would hunt it down and kill it like any other Pre-Kishin. Ixion followed behind, keeping pace with his friend despite his own natural quickness. Neither of them could see the creature anymore, and decided that it must be up the path. After a while, though, they found themselves walking again, taking the incline of the mountain slowly.

"So," said Ixion, panting a little but overall okay, "what do you think is up there? That guy said 'Lady Minake.' Maybe another Witch?"

"I don't know," answered Altezio, eyes scanning the path for any sign of the creature. Here and there he would see a small spattering of blood, and he knew that they must be on the right track. In his hands the strings of the guitar vibrated a little – Karin had let off a shiver.

"Do you feel that?" she asked, her voice full of static from the speaker. Altezio answered with a slight nod, but in truth he did more than feel it. He could see it, every once in a while, from the corner of his eye. A shadow that shouldn't be there, or movement behind some rock. Something was amiss, and he didn't like it. Still, he had to be strong, and he had to push on. He kept telling himself that everything would be fine, but in the back of his head that doubt still lingered. In the distance, further up the mountain, a mansion came into view.

_Alex_

"Come on, is that the best you can do?" asked Alex, pushing Cyclone away with enough force to slam the mage forcefully into a tree. Cyclone looked stunned for a moment before disappearing entirely, a swift gust seeming to carry his form away.

"Hey! Don't run from me, coward!" cried Alex, not noticing the mage's reformation nearby. Without a sound, the mage dashed. Luzo spotted him and gave out a cry, but it was too late, and Alex was caught (only grazed, luckily) by the man's blade. Alex kicked out, catching the man in the gut and sending him to the ground while he followed up with a counter, raising his blade high and bringing it down forcefully. The mage rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the crushing blow, and the blade crashed into the ground, shaking the earth with the impact.

"You are talented," began Cyclone, standing and holding his blade at the ready. His eyes were cool and dead, "and much faster than you would seem with your weapon. I now predict a 63% chance that you will not survive this encounter."

"Oh shut up!" yelled Alex, his blood burning with rage. Using his Soul Wavelength, he shattered some of the earth around his blade, pulling it from the ground and launching debris at his opponent. Cyclone dodged them before dashing forward again, the power of his wind magic centering in his clenched fist.

"Fist of the Dragon's Roar!" the mage cried as he punched, Alex blocking the attack with the flat of his blade. Following the attack was a gale force wind that cut open any exposed flesh, causing the young Meister to hide behind the bulk of his weapon partner. This guy wasn't going to take him down. With a mighty cry he launched his foe away before leaping at him, taking a swing that cut the mage across the chest before he landed.

"I see I've continued to underestimate you," the mage sputtered, holding a hand to his bleeding chest. The bandages around his chest shifted and churned, covering the injured area, "but I will have to end this now." Then, he held his hands together, wind beginning to spiral around him in a rapidly growing whirlwind. At his feet a glowing green circle etched with runes appeared.

"Let's fuck this guy up, Luzo," Alex said through gritted teeth, ignoring his bleeding arms and torso as he ran forward, holding his weapon back for a powerful strike.

_Altezio_

Altezio looked up at the large, oaken doors of the mansion, Ixion doing the same at his side. He could feel souls on the other side, but they were muffled somehow. Like they were hidden behind some sort of veil, and despite one of the doors being slightly ajar it was this feeling that kept him from pushing it open and peering inside. Ixion seemed to be thinking the same thing, but the young Meister couldn't be sure if his wizard friend was feeling the same thing he was feeling.

"Do you think we can handle what's in there?" asked Karin, the strings on her guitar form vibrating slightly and emitting a low hum that showed she was nervous. Altezio put his hand on the neck of the guitar, over the strings, in an attempt to sooth his Weapon partner

"Whatever it is," Ixion answered, "we won't know until we go in, right? Besides, I feel like I know this place." Then, with a step forward and a raised hand, the young mage shoved the door open, creaking on its hinges as it slid into the darkness of the mansion. Altezio noticed that the shadows seemed to cling to the inside a little tighter than they should have, resisting for the slightest of moments before succumbing to the light of the sun.

"Let's go," said Ixion, stepping over the threshold before turning and gesturing for his companion to follow. Altezio did so without question, his grip tightening as he passed into the building. The muffled feeling only intensified as he made his way deeper into the mansion, the darkness seeming to deepen the farther in they got. He couldn't see a thing, but he knew why that was; every window was just barely visible from the small spears of light peeking through the wooden boards over them, only to be devoured by the shadows.

"Tez…" said Karin, unsure. He nodded, only after the fact realizing that the Weapon probably couldn't see him. Ixion, only visible from the small tendrils of electricity jumping in between his hair and fingers, stopped then, seeming to be listening to something.

"You guys hear that?" he asked, and Altezio began to listen as well. At first, all he seemed to hear was the sound of the old house – creaking boards and the skittering of who knows what kind of vermin in the walls, but as he listened he began to feel something at tugging at his soul, as if the very shadows he stood in were trying to pull him somewhere. He swore he could hear them whispering.

"The whispering?"

"No…it sounds like a lullaby…coming from somewhere deeper in the house. Come on!" then, just like that, Ixion was gone, dashing away. Altezio reacted quickly, but couldn't keep up with his friend, even while Karin was yelling for him to stop. She even took to calling him some fairly horrible things, but there was no stopping him, and he was gone, leaving Altezio alone in the darkness.

"Shit," he said, panting, "how does he get so fast? All the electricity?"

"Who knows, but he's a jackass for leaving us here," Karin said angrily. Altezio shook his head, and straightened up, looking around for whatever he could see. He needed light, and he needed it soon – the constant darkness mixed with that stifled feeling was beginning to make him claustrophobic. Luckily, he found what he was looking for quickly. He aimed himself at his target and strummed a power chord, sending the powerful sound wave rocketing toward it. There was a powerful crash, and the wooden planks splintered, letting a little more light into the room. Altezio smirked and did it again, and then several times after that, until the boards finally seemed to explode, letting light stream in and fill the room. Altezio's smile was quickly banished after this fact, and the whispering intensified as he looked around him. The room he was standing in looked like a small dining room, and picture frames without pictures adorned the walls. Just as strange, there were chairs sitting in the center of the room, but no table. And, standing along with the young Meister were what appeared to be shadows, all vaguely humanoid, and all seemed to be looking at him. They all looked as if they had just been in the process of doing something: one was sitting in one of the chairs, and a different one seemed to be looking at one of the picture frames before Altezio had let the light in. He didn't move a muscle.

"Tez," Karin whipsered, voice barely audible through the static sound of the amp, "what's going on?"

"I don't know," he answered, looking around slowly at all of them. On the other side of the room was an open doorway, the light from the window unable to pierce through the darkness on the other side.

_"Maybe this is some kind of magic,"_ the boy thought, _"maybe there is a Witch here, and these are the people she's killed."_ As the thought went through his mind he closed his eyes and shivered, trying to shake the thought away. When he opened them again, he was shocked to see that the shadows had all changed their positions. The one that was sitting was now directly in front of him, and as he looked he noticed that all of them had, in one way or another, gotten closer to him. He wasn't sure what would happen if they got ahold of him, but he wasn't going to hang around to find out. He changed his finger position, tensing up for another quick chord.

"Ready, Karin?" he asked, receiving no answer but still knowing that she would go along with whatever plan he had. He strummed the instrument quickly, not really paying attention to what his fingers were doing. The resulting dissonance spread his wavelength all around him in a violent, unfocused torrent that blasted the surrounding shadows into pieces, only for them to start reforming before his eyes. The whispering intensified again, trying to drown out the guitar as those not effected by the attack began to move, hands becoming misshapen claws, each step jittery and unstable, as if the things were marionettes. Altezio dashed forward, playing more power chords and focusing them on any approaching enemies. By the time he reached the doorway, jumping the chairs in the middle of the room, he was already surrounded again, and as he leapt through the doorway into the darkness he felt a stinging pain in his calf. He hit the floor with a thud and felt himself sliding backward slowly, unable to get loose despite his attempts to kick at his attacker. He looked back and saw the claw of one of the shadows embedded in his leg, blood soaking through his jeans and spilling onto the floor. He turned onto his back, trying his best to ignore the pain, and blasted his foe with three quick blasts from the guitar in the form of a quick arpeggio. He backed into the darkness of the next room and held his Weapon at the ready, waiting for his foes to pass through the door. But, to his surprise, they didn't. They just stood, whispering at him at the edge of the light.

"What are they doing?" he asked, lowering his Weapon and taking this small chance to tend to the wound on his leg. It was a deep gash, and would take some time to heal, but he felt he would still be able to walk.

"I don't care, as long as they stay over there," said Karin, transforming and kneeling next to her Meister, "are you all right?"

"Yeah I'm okay, but you wouldn't happen to have come prepared something like this, would you?" Altezio asked, and he could just barely make out the smirk on his Weapon's face as she rolled her eyes.

"Well, somebody had to," she said, reaching into her pocket and supplying her Meister with a small roll of gauze, complete with a little clip to hold the wrapping together. Altezio took it and when to work, ripping his jeans (he would have to get rid of this pair now) and wrapping the bandages around his leg, making sure his work was nice and tight before standing with the help of his partner.

"Let's get away from these things," he said as she turned back to her Weapon form. He looked back at the shadows again, still whispering at him incoherently. He turned from them, ignoring them as he walked away. Soon, he was once more lost in the darkness of the mansion, wandering almost blindly.

"How can this bitch live like this?" Karin wondered out loud.

"I don't think she does…I think this is just because she's expecting us," Altezio answered, feeling his way around a corner. He made a misstep as he rounded the corner and nearly fell as the floor disappeared from under one foot. Though his eyes were wide with shock he could see nothing ahead of him.

"What happened?" Karin asked, worried.

"I think we are at the top of a staircase…" he said, feeling ahead the first step down with his foot. Slowly, he took another step, then another. When he finally reached the bottom, he stopped in his tracks, staring into the void ahead of him. He felt something ahead of him…but it was strange. Like it was there and not there all at the same time. Something full and empty at once. The thought of it, the sheer concept of it, stunned the boy, and he felt as if he was being drawn into it. As if his soul were being drawn into it.

"Tez!" came the voice at the top of the staircase, and the boy shook his head, clearing it of whatever force was beyond the darkness. He looked back and saw Ixion, holding a lit light bulb (thanks to his power) in one hand.

"Where have you been?" the young Meister asked, stomping up the stairs, "and why are you holding that? Haven't you seen the shadows?"

"Shadows? I don't know what you're talking about man, but I think I know where this Lady Minake woman is." Ixion said, this time walking ahead of his companion. Altezio followed, just happy that this mission was almost over. Still, he had a feeling that the worst was yet to come.

_Alex_

Alex stood panting and bloody, staring down his opponent. Or at least what he could see of his opponent. Cyclone stood on the other side of the clearing, parts of him fading in and out as the wind seemed to pull them out of existence. Alex had never fought an enemy like this, but that wasn't going to stop him.

"You should quit while you can still draw breath," Cyclone said blandly, raising an arm. Alex braced himself as wind cut toward him, hiding behind his blade as much as he could.

"Brother, we can't keep fighting like this!" Luzo cried, but Alex shook his head. He would get this guy's soul, one way or another. The Meister stood and lifted his brother, the Zweihander, up defensively, before rushing his opponent, bringing the blade in a wide, sweeping motion. The attack was fast – much faster than one would think such a massive blade could be swung – but still missed, with Cyclone quickly circling around to the other side of the clearing, blades of wind cutting into Alex's back. The young Meister turned and glared, eyes burning with fire, as he turned and faced his opponent.

"Alex…"

"Soul Resonance. You ready, Luzo?"

"…yeah…." At that, the two brothers' wavelengths surged, and Alex grabbed the hilt at the end of the blade, raising it high.

"Soul Resonance Destruction Technique! Earth Shatter!" Alex cried, bringing the blade down with so much power that the ground before him exploded all around him, the shockwave rocketing to ward his opponent. However, when he looked up, he was shocked to find that his opponent was gone, only to be caught by the throat as he reappeared on top of the Zweihander, the blade buried in the ground.

"That's the problem with humans," the mage said almost lifelessly, lifting the boy up off the ground, "always wasting time."

_Altezio_

Altezio and Ixion each stood motionless in the candle lit room. It looked like a ball room of sorts and, like the other room Altezio had been in, it was full of picture frames with no pictures. Ahead of them was a small stage, upon which were two people: a girl in blue and an older woman in white and gold. The younger of the two wore no shoes and stood next to the older, who was sitting in what appeared to be an antique chair with a velour seat and back. She was sitting at a table and had a porcelain cup in her hand. She took a slow sip and eyed the teens with amusement.

"Kylee," the older woman started, "be a dear and gather the others and go to the spring."

"But…Lady Minake," the younger started, looking up at Altezio and Ixion with angry eyes, "I can take care of them on my own!"

"I'm sure you could, dear, but I would rather you let me handle it?" the older woman said calmly, looking up at the girl. She huffed but nodded before running off, disappearing behind a door.

"Now, where were we?" she asked, turning to them and smiling. Ixion was the first to act, raising an arm and blasting her with a bolt of lightning. There was a flurry of movement and the desk table she sat at was launched into the air, all the items once sitting upon it flung away as the bolt struck it, shattering it in an explosion of splintered wood. The Witch herself was gone, and in her place was a mass of shadows, black tentacles extending from its core. These appendages wasted no time, launching forward and attempting to grab at the Meister and Wizard. Ixion began blasting them back, the light from his bolts breaking them apart. Altezio, meanwhile, began playing a fast paced solo, his soul wavelength forming into a barrier of sound and energy. It was a new attack, but it did its job – any tentacles that got too close were torn asunder as they approached. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, and the tentacles continued to come in endless waves, until they finally burst through Altezio's sound barrier, knocking him off balance as they rushed him.

"Tez! Up!" cried Ixion, and the young Meister complied, playing a powerful chord that launched him into the air just as Ixion cast his spell.

"Spell 094! Flash Bomb!" he cried, a ball of electricity appearing in his hand. He lobbed it at here Altezio had been before and it exploded on impact, the light eradicating the pursuing tentacles as the Meister flew into the air, launching chords at the shadows from the air while Ixion prepared his next spell.

"Power of the thunderstorm in the palm of my hand, Spell 112! Lightning Spear!" he called, and a javelin of electricity appeared in his hand before flying at the shadows. Their mixed attacks did their job, and the Witch was revealed, smirking lightly.

"You two fight well, but you can't defeat me. It's best to just give up now," she said, and before either boy could react, Altezio was grabbed by a tendril from behind, reaching through the shadows in a nearby corner. The black thing wrapped around him again and again, pinning his guitar to him and lifting him into the air. He gave a pained cry as it squeezed him tightly.

"Let him go!" Ixion cried, but Minake merely laughed at him.

"Or what? You think you have the power to beat me, boy? You never could before, and you never will." At this, Ixion looked at her, confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, did I let that slip? Nothing dear, don't worry about it."

"Just shut up and let him go!" Ixion said angrily, launching a bolt at her that she merely batted away with one of her hands. His eyes were ablaze as his friend let out another pained cry, and the sound of electricity crackling around his frame grew steadily louder.

"As you wish," she said, her tone amused and mischievous. Ixion watched in horror as the tendril holding his friend whipped back and then forward, launching him up to the ceiling. There was a loud crash as he broke through it and was gone.

"Tez! Karin!" Ixion cried in outrage, before staring angrily at the Witch before him.

"Don't look so angry – I merely did as you asked. Nothing more,"

"I'll kill you!" cried Ixion, launching every attack he could at her. Each one was deflected by another shadow while Minake stood and smiled at him. Finally, he felt something in him break, and he felt his power spike.

"Oh?" Minake wondered, noticing the power spike as well, "So the Soul Protect broke, hm? Looks like things will get interesting." Ixion didn't hear her, feeling his power gather as he prepared his next spell – a spell that he was saving for a moment just like this.

"Spell 013…Raiden's Cannon!" he cried, a yellow magic circle appearing in the air before him. Power began to build in the center of it, and any sane person would have made to stop the boy. Minake, however, just smiled.

_Alex_

Alex kneeled, beaten and bloodied, before Cyclone. The mage had a blade to his throat, and stared him down mercilessly.

"Any last words?" he asked, before his eyes widened. Had Alex seen it, he would have easily mistaken it for surprise, or some other form of emotion. But, as it was, Alex wasn't even sure this guy was human, and had his eyes closed.

"You've lucked out," the mage said, disappearing on the wind, "next time you won't be so lucky." Alex, suddenly confused, looked up just in time to watch as a massive explosion rocked the mountainside. He stood shakily, using the Zweihander as a balance.

"Are we going after him, brother?" Luso asked. Alex merely shook his head.

"No. We're going to go save their asses though."

_Meanwhile…_

Altezio was knocked out cold, and nothing Karin said would rouse him. Eventually she opted to changing back to her human form and beating him in the chest as they plummeted to the trees below.

"C'mon Tez you're stronger than this! Wake up or we're both going to die!" No answer. She continued for a few seconds before letting off an angry wail, tears in her eyes.

"Dammit Altezio! The one time I need you…" she said, before transforming entirely and holding him close. If she was going to die, she was going to die protecting him. She closed her eyes, listening to the rushing wind in her ears, and didn't notice the dark streak flying toward her, nor did she notice the massive explosion behind her.

**That's it for this chapter, I think. When I revise this story (as I have been doing with the others) it will be much better, I believe. Anyway, Read and Review, and I will keep work going as much as I can. Thank you for all the patience.**


	14. Black Star and Spirit! To Death City?

Black Star stood, kusarigama in hand, on one side of a gravestone. It bore no name, and rested atop a small hill next to a single tree that held no leaves and drooped a bit. Across from the ninja stood Josiah, six-shot pistol in hand.

"There's still time, you know," said Josiah, looking at the man with sad eyes, "to back down. And walk away with your life."

"I already told you, I'm here to prove once and for all who the strongest man is," said Black Star, voice adamant and very serious. He had a half smirk on his face and his eyes seemed to burn with determination. Josiah sighed at this.

"Very well," the Meister said, before raising his gun and pulling the trigger. The gunshot was deafening, and the bullet, made from a bit of the man's Soul Wavelength, cut through the air with such power that Black Star actually saw the tree sway in response. He raised one of his kusarigama and blocked the projectile, the force of it actually lifting him off his feet.

"Impressive. Most people go down after the first shot," said Josiah before squeezing off another shot, which Black Star dodged by rolling out of the way before seeming to disappear completely, moving at such a speed that he was before his opponent in a second, bringing his foot around in a powerful kick that would put down any normal man. Josiah, however, was no normal man, and with outstretched hand he caught his opponents boot.

"You think I'm going to get caught off guard by something so simple, boy?" the older man said, dropping the boot as Black Star darted back. His head was down as Josiah spoke.

"You'll have to do a lot better than that," he said, and at this Black Star raised his head, eyes blazing. Tsubaki felt the subtle shift in her Meister's Soul Wavelength and changed accordingly, turning into a giant shuriken. Black Star stood then, lifting the Weapon with lightning fast reflexes as another shot was fired, the projectile making a loud clang against the metal surface. Black Star was pushed back a couple of inches but his stance was still tall.

"Tsubaki," the ninja said, and at once the woman's face appeared on his side of the shuriken.

"Black Star?"

"Are you okay?" the question caught her off guard, and at first she didn't answer. Of course she was okay, he knew that. They'd fought tougher foes than this, and she'd taken harder hits than those, so what was the problem. She never received an answer because, as soon as she had assured him that she as all right, he went to work. He threw the shuriken with incredible power, the weapon practically rolling rather than flying along the ground, the blades taking out huge gouges from the earth. Black Star dashed behind it, his form a blur as he ran. Just before the shuriken hit Josiah, however, Black Star reached forward.

"Kusarigama Mode Tsubaki!" he cried, and the Weapon obliged, Black Star catching ahold of one of the blades while the other continued on, using the momentum it had built in the other form, chain swiftly wrapping around Josiah's legs before the blade bit into his leg. He grunted, clearly not expecting this form of attack, but he didn't have a lot of time to question it as Black Star pulled, knocking him to the ground, and began to spin. Once he was moving at a fairly decent pace, Tsubaki transformed again, this time into the Enchanted Sword. This, as Black Star had hoped, launched Josiah high into the air. With a great leap, Black Star was airborne as well, followed by a thin shadow.

"This is it for you!" called Black Star as he approached, sword held back for a powerful blow. To his surprise, however, Josiah had stabilized himself and was holding his weapon forward in the form of a sawed off shotgun. Before either could strike, however, the air around them rippled with power. They fell to the ground, both staring to the direction the pulse had come from.

"Tsubaki...any idea what that was?" the ninja asked, staring off into the distance. He couldn't see anything, and the power, while still there, was fading quickly. Black Star looked at his opponent, who shared his look of concern. Kim was at his side now, helping him to tend to the wound on his leg.

"I don't know what that was either, kid. Felt like a Witch to me…but a Witch that powerful could be…trouble," Josiah answered, standing when Kim had finished up. As the two began to walk away, Black Star straightened up.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked, eyes narrowed. The Gunman turned and looked at him with a look of confusion.

"The fight's not over," Black Star said, despite the fact that Tsubaki had transformed and was standing next to him. Josiah sighed while Kim looked at the ninja angrily. She was about to speak when Josiah answered.

"You're right. But we've got more to worry about now. If you got any common sense kid, you'll do what we're going to do."

"And what's that?" Black Star asked, folding his arms and eyeing Josiah coldly. The Gunman smirked.

"We're going to Death City."

_Meanwhile…_

Another soul-tearing wail pierced the foggy night as Meister and Pre-Kishin collided in battle. The Banshee fought with long claws on her hands, and met Argath again and again without receiving so much as a single scratch.

"This is unreal!" cried Spirit as his blade, made of a dull and near freezing cold iron, rocketed through the night air. Argath was quite skillful, but each stroke was met with a quick claw strike that batted the weapon away in a shower of sparks. All the while the woman had a dark smile, and her eyes glowed a malicious shade of red.

"Keep on your toes, Death Scythe. She will fall if it's the last thing I do!" Argath cried, dashing into the fray. Scythe locked with talons as the two combatants faced off once more.

"Tell me, Argath. How long are you going to hunt me? You're little tricks grow tiresome," the Pre-Kishin said, her voice raspy and far-off sounding. Argath focused his Wavelength into his weapon, the resulting power forcing the two combatants away from one another.

"You should have died long ago, Bryn!" Argath answered, pointing the weapon at her. She growled at the name and he smirked.

"That name, that woman, _is_ dead, Argath. She died and I took her place!" With her piece said, the Banshee leapt forward, claws extended. Argath sidestepped her attack and brought his weapon up to her belly, making a horrible gash there and spilling blood on the ground. He smiled in his victory, but was surprised, when her hands came up, grabbing the staff of the scythe and wrenching it from his grasp before tossing it away, the blade sinking into the ground as a soft rain began to fall. Spirit tried to transform but found that he could only watch as the Banshee sunk her talons into his shoulders, a raspy laugh escaping her lungs.

"You thought… you could end me?" she asked, and Argath only stared hatefully into her eyes before she loosed her lethal scream. Argath's eyes rolled into the back of his head and Spirit tried his best to change, but was stuck in his Weapon Form. He began to cry out but stopped as he felt himself pulled from the ground, a familiar Wavelength washing over him – one he could have sworn he would never feel again. His blade returned to its cold iron state as his new wielder dashed forward, the Banshee dropping her prey as they approached. The Banshee lashed out at the Meister but she proved to be quicker, leaping over her opponent and placing the scythe blade under her chin as she landed.

"Bryn, The Banshee of the Moors," said the voice, so strong and so familiar to Spirit, "Your soul is mine," Before the Banshee could make the slightest scream, the Meister pulled the scythe blade back, cutting through her neck with ease as her body dissipated, becoming a glowing red Kishin Egg. The rain intensified, and the Meister dropped the scythe, kneeling next to Argath.

"Argath," she said, voice concerned, and Spirit found that he could transform again. He did so and stared in disbelief, "Hang in there, it'll be okay."

"Have no fear for me child…I'm glad you came back when you did," the older man said. Argath took the hand she held out to him, grunting in pain as she helped him sit up. Spirit noted the dirty blonde hair, long and let down, and the emerald green eyes as they darted up to him for a second, face set in a straight line. She wore a heavy jacket with grey fur lining and a green color overall, a white button up shirt and a pair of jeans with a pair of boots. Spirit couldn't believe it, but couldn't stop himself from blurting his thoughts out.

"Kami?" he asked, and the woman looked him full in the eye this time, eyebrow cocked as she eyed him up and down. She stood fully and smirked.

"Hello, Spirit. You look like hell."

**So, updating has always been a problem for me, yes? I can't promise that this will change, but you guys know I'm good for it. This was originally supposed to be two updates, but I figured I could mix them and get back to the main story faster, yes? Stay tuned for more, as there will be. Thank you sooo much for reading, and please leave a review for me, they help a lot.**


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